X-Possible
006: Giving Thanks
It was the last week of November, the week of Thanksgiving, and in Middleton that meant one thing: the Possibles and the Stoppables, who were practically family already, came together and celebrated the holiday. This year some special guests would be attending, one Dr. Hank McCoy, maternal cousin to the Possible patriarch, and Anne Possible's niece and nephew, Katharine, and Lawrence Pryde, also known as Kitty and Larry respectively. Another new face that would appear over the Thanksgiving table this year, Kurt Wagner, a new addition to the Stoppable clan. He and Vicky Stoppable were brother and sister, at least by half, they shared a mother. While Vicky and Kurt would never love their mother because of her past actions, to them and to the world as a whole, they would be grateful to her for making them a family. Middleton ISD was out for the week, and Team Possible decided to skip their weekly hiking trip into the mountains, to spend time with their families and each other.
Today was Monday, and Kim was excited about her cousin Shadowcat's visit. Kitty was three years older than Kim's sixteen, and Kim always looked up to her cousin, Katharine, who at sixteen herself, became a field leader for the X-Men. It was Kitty's tales of adventure with her fellow mutants that inspired Kim to start her website. Kim was sitting with Ron on the couch in the family room, talking animatedly about stuff she hoped to do with her cousin, while she was here. "I'm really looking forward to seeing Kitty again," Kim enthused, "we didn't get much of a visit over the summer."
Ron scratched the back of his head, and looked away in embarrassment, "Yeah, sorry about that KP, but who would've thought our client would turn out to be an insane, monkey obsessed, monkey-human hybrid out to rule the world?"
Kim jerked her head in his direction, "It's okay, Ron," she said, placing her hand over the one not scratching his head, getting him to turn in her direction. "You couldn't have known," then remembering how Ron had called Monkey Fist, bad road even before the whole sitch at Monkey Fist manor, added, "for sure that he was the bad road you thought he was, you're not your uncle," Kim squeezed his hand in hers, "you don't let your fear rule you, even before you started improving yourself, you faced your fears, and controlled them. Whether we were fighting Drakken, Killigan, or even just jumping out of perfectly good aircraft, you were brave, and always showed great courage," she finished telling her Ron, then added in her thoughts, something she has finally admitted, at least to herself, and that's one of the many, many things that have made me realize, that I love you Ronnie!
Stoppable was dumbfounded at his best friend's declaration, and his eyes suddenly began to shine with moisture. He suddenly turned away, and with his free hand began wiping them, and to keep his male mystique said, "man, it's dusty in here, when was the last time the sofa was dusted?"
Kim smiled, not buying his sudden allergy attack, and instead of humoring him began calling him on his bluff, "it was just yesterday that we dusted the whole house," she informed him.
Ron panicked and began to try to find something to keep up the ruse that he wasn't crying, "top to bottom?"
"Top to bottom," Kim confirmed.
"Front and back," asked Ron?
"Front and back," Kim answered.
"Inside and out," Ron asked with increased desperation?
"Inside and…," Kim began before realizing what he'd asked, "Ron," she growled, "who dusts the outside of their house?"
Ron flinched a little, but stuck to his guns, even though he knew he was losing the argument, "I don't know… somebody… somewhere, maybe," he retorted.
"Well, until you show me someone who dusts the exterior of their house, and is not suffering some form of mental or emotional disorder," Kim challenged, finally lifting her hand from his and crossing them over her chest, but her eyes never left his, "I'm going to have to deny your claim that there was any dust getting in your eye." For a few pregnant moments they glared in each other's eyes, daring the other to flinch, then the corners of their mouths began to twitch, as if they were having an earthquake on their faces. They just started laughing, and falling against each other, they would seem to be getting their mirth under control, then after looking at each other fresh laughter would spill forth once more. They laughed for a good two minutes, before finally getting in control of themselves.
"Thanks Kim," Ron said to his best friend, and as of recently the keeper of his heart, it was not just Kim who had finally admitted, to himself at least, how he felt about Kim Possible, "I needed that, things were just getting too serious there for a moment."
"No big," Kim replied, "anybody could have made a joke about how macho men like to hide their true emotions."
"Since when was I ever macho," Ron asked, "my life motto is to never be normal?"
"I know, Ron," Kim replied, patting his hand.
"Me and Kurt talked over the phone last night, we agreed that I will Divine Step him here on Thursday, just before we eat. When are Kitty and Larry expected to get here," Ron asked, "I'm looking forward to getting in some gamage with Larry again?"
Kim rolled her eyes as Ron talked about the other Pryde cousin, coming to visit. While Kim loved Larry, cousin to cousin, there were times when his obsession with science fiction just got on her nerves. Ron was the same, and it amazed her that what annoyed her so much about one person, did not bother her at all in another. Maybe it's because Ron doesn't bore me to tears talking about it, while Larry just won't shut-up about roleplaying, plus Ron has other interests besides Sci-fi. "They should be here any minute, Hank was going to pick them up from the airport and bring them here. They'll be staying here for the week, Uncle Carmen and Aunt Theresa are getting here, the day before Thanksgiving, but Uncle Carmen is a banker, keeping banker's hours makes it impossible for them to come any sooner."
No sooner had Kim finished speaking, then there was a knock at the door. Kim, followed by Ron, got up and hurried to the door. She did not need the familiar scent of her cousins, to know who was at the door. Reaching it, Kim flung the door wide, and beyond it stood Beast, Shadowcat, and Larry. Kitty was grinning from ear to ear upon seeing her cousin and her best friend, "Kimmy," screamed the brown-haired, blue-eyed, intangible-capable mutant known as Shadowcat, and amid shrieks that could be heard in orbit, the teen girls launched themselves into a hug! They hugged each other tightly, jumping up and down.
"Kitty," screamed the sixteen-styles of Chinese martial arts known, gymnastic and cheerleader perfecting, hidden cat-like, also intangible mutant, teen hero, Kim Possible! They began chattering right away, forgetting that they were in the doorway to Kim's house, and forgetting Kim's other two cousins.
Before they could get too deep in conversation, Beast spoke up, "While I am sufficiently warded from the frigid season, thanks to my outerwear, and my natural blue fur," Hank stated urbanely, "your brother Kitty, and your other cousin Kim, is not so lucky. Would you please allow us to enter the house of my cousin James, so that we may partake of the heat emanating therein?" Realizing where they were, both girls broke apart, looking sheepish while Kim stood aside letting her family enter her house. "Having already been in contact with James via telephone, I know he is still hard at work at the Space Center, and thus not at home. Where, however, is the matriarch of this domicile," Hank asked, as he entered the Possible family home?
"Mom's still at the hospital, and the tweebs are over at a friend's house," Kim replied, "they should be home soon." As Larry entered the house, following his sister and her teammate, Kim greeted him dutifully, "hello Larry, welcome to Middleton," she said while giving him a hug. He may not be her favorite cousin but in her mind, he was still family. James and Anne had taught their kids the importance of family all their lives.
Larry returned the hug with one of his own and, "Greetings cousin," he began, "I feel welcome in the house of my uncle and aunt and look forward to the partaking of the Thanksgiving tradition," he said trying to sound impressive, and it just came off as lame. Seeing that his cousin did not understand the reference he started explaining, "that's the formal greeting between the fearsome, warrior-aliens, Gakuone of the sci-fi epic, Space Voyage: the Next Journey, it was a greeting that prevented much bloodshed, even between family members."
Kim's eyes had fogged over as he explained, but it was Ron who broke the tension when he stepped forward and thumped his right hand over his chest. "Greetings returned to you, cousin of my battle mate, Kim Possible," Ron began, "I too am partaking in the Thanksgiving tradition, and I look forward to going into battle as allies."
Hank smiled indulgently at the exchange, but the two teen girls just rolled their eyes and shook their heads. Then shared a look that said one word, boys. Kitty approached them, saying, "you two are worse than Bobby Drake," she said, then turned to Ron. "Don't I rate a greeting, Ron," she asked, folding her arms over her chest, "or are you going to ignore me?"
Ron turned toward the X-Lady, and with a goofy grin said, "of course not, I was just making sure my hearing wasn't permanently damaged after those screams you two let loose at the door." They were still in the foyer, the door long since closed, and Ron stepped up to Kitty, and enfolded her in her own hug, "Hello, KP Sr.," Ron said gently, if there was a runner-up in his heart for another woman, this young lady before him was certainly in that position. While his feelings for Kim were set in stone these days, Kitty Pryde in the past was right up there with Kim Possible. Ironically, both young women had the same initials, and Ron called them both 'KP', however to distinguish the two when they were in the same room, he addressed Kim Possible as, KP Jr., and Kitty Pryde as stated above, "it must be a girl thing, but I'm surprised that KP Jr's ears aren't bleeding with all that screaming."
Beast suddenly made a face, "The excited outbursts you heard at the door, Ronald," Hank stated, "are but minor tropical depressions when compared to hurricane force cacophony, that makes landfall almost daily in Westchester, betwixt Kitty here and Miss Lee, not to mention the added sounds of Miss Sinclair, and young Laura Logan. At times, I think Charles sends them on missions to manufacture a certain amount of tranquility in the Mansion."
Larry had a look as if he knew right where Dr. McCoy was coming from, "I had to endure the same screams this summer, when Kim came to visit," he added, "they reminded me of the Harpies on level twenty-nine of Arc-Rage. Their shriek was one of their most devastating attacks." At the exchange between their male family members both girls were sulking, with their arms crossed over their chests, looking highly offended.
"We are not that loud," Kim argued.
"That's right, if Kim can handle it with how sensitive her ears are," Kitty added, "then surely, you big tough men can just deal with it."
Just as Kim was about to add more, she received a call on her cellphone. "Excuse me, that's dad's ringtone," holding up a finger she answered. "Hello," she answered then, "hey dad… yes they got here just fine," she said looking at her family's guests to indicate who they were talking about, "sure, me and Ron could come by the Space Center… I'll ask Hank to drop us off, if it's not too much trouble," she continued looking at her dad's cousin, her eyes asking the question. Who nodded and shrugged, as if it was not a problem, Kim continued the conversation with her dad, "me and Ron should be in our mission gear… yes, we will… no it's no problem at all… okay see you then dad… I love you too, see you at the space center, bye." Kim clicked off, looking at Ron who had already started moving for the dojo in the basement, where he stored some extra mission gear, "let's get going Ron, dad's got a mission for Team Possible." Then turning to her guests, "I'm sorry, you all, but we've gotta run. Larry you're in the spare bedroom, up the stairs down the hall, third door on the left. Kitty you're staying in my room, come on and follow me, while I go get changed."
Middleton Space Center of Colorado
Dr. James Possible was hard at work in his lab at the Middleton Space Center's robotics lab. He was operating an overhead magnet, when Team Possible walked in with Kim greeting her father with, "Hey Dad."
The magnet was still going when he turned to greet them with, "Kimmy, Ronald."
Ron also greeted the man, who he saw as only slightly less of a father-figure than his own father, "hey, doctor P, what's the new toy, is that an electromagnet?"
James Possible's smile brightened as Ron asked him about his latest project, then waving his question aside added, "that's right, and it's no toy, it's the most powerful electromagnet in North America," he confirmed before adding, "full-spectrum, synchrotronic, flux-condenser," he said. Then added, "Isn't it cool?"
Ron chuckled, "it's a good thing my belt-buckle and suspenders are made of brass, and my new ticks are made of aluminum, or you guys would be seeing me in my boxers right about now. It's also a good thing the metal of my body is anti-magnetic, otherwise you'd have a real mess to clean up after it tore me to bloody shreds."
"Oh, sorry Ronald," James Possible apologized to his surrogate son, "I didn't think about you having adverse reactions to magnetic fields or I'd have met you guys elsewhere. Would your body have any adverse reactions to X-rays," Kim's father asked, "if so, I'm afraid you may have to remain outside our top-secret area?"
"Don't worry, Mr. Dr. Possible," Ron replied with a wave of his hand, "one of the first things they did at the X-mansion was X-ray me. Ronium has almost no interaction with EMR, it scatters 99% of light, the only reason you guys can see me, is because there are only traces of Ronium in my skin, hair, and eyes."
"Fascinating," came the rocket scientist's reply, as he fingered his chin in curiosity!
Kim got down to business, "So, dad what's up," she said, giving him a little nudge with her elbow?
Jim suddenly went serious and putting a finger over his lips said, "Shush," before looking around but still moving closer said in a whisper, "top-secret," before turning and indicating for Team Possible to follow him, "go infrasonic," he ordered while inserting his ear wiig.
They came to a door with a palm reader, and an electronic voice ordered, "PLACE PALM ON PALM DISPLAY SCANNER," which Dr. Possible complied with, which caused the palm reader to reply, "WELCOME DOCTOR POSSIBLE."
As the doors opened and they entered, Kim's dad began briefing his daughter and her partner on why he asked them to come, "we've been working on a robotic surface explorer for the unmanned Jupiter mission."
Ron listened then asked, "wait the mission to Jupiter is top secret, why is that? Wouldn't a mission to Jupiter be a big draw for the masses, and bring some extra dollars to the Space Center?"
Kim was amused, "Ron, we fight supervillains all the time, who would like nothing more than to steal some of this top-secret tech, just to make it into some sort of doomsday weapon."
Jim stopped suddenly and rounded on his daughter, "how did you know that," he asked with mild suspicion?
Kim paused, then smiled at her father and answered, "lucky guess."
Dr. Possible continued with his briefing, as they came to a retinal scanner, which allowed them to enter, after passing the scan, "because it'll be too far away for real-time communication, we need a robot that can think for itself."
Kim knew where he was going with this, so she made another leap of analytical thinking, "artificial intelligence?"
Her father whipped back around in an accusatory tone asked, "are you sure you haven't been briefed on this?"
Seeing her father's concern Kim raised her arms placatingly, and conceded, "I'll stop."
They finally came to a huge machine that was an X-ray machine, and passed through to the other side, coming to a much stronger door than the last two combined, this one had only a keypad, "anyway, we've got a robotics whiz, who's been working on a thinking prototype. A prototype that was stolen last night," Dr. Possible concluded his briefing in outrage.
Once inside the lab, Team Possible went to work, and using their heightened senses, literally began sniffing around for clues. The container that housed the prototype was about three-feet long, made of half inch-thick glass steel, and shaped like a bread box. At the moment, Kim was holding a piece of glass that reflected her image, with all the security they had to go through there was one question on Kim's mind, which she voiced aloud, "how could an outsider even get in here," voicing her suspicions that it was an inside job?
Just as she was asking that question a man fell from above, "that's a good question," then looking at his predicament hanging upside down, suspended by his lab coat from a metal-arm, "just a moment, I'll be right down," he said as he began manipulating the controls to the metal-arm in his hand.
James began making introductions, "ah, Kimmy, this is doctor…," but before he could finish, the arm began swinging the scientist all over amid his cries of fear and pain. It ended with the mechanical arm swinging the hapless scientist around in circles. Everyone just stood and watched, and Ron was getting dizzy just watching the spectacle. It was like looking at a wreck on the highway, you don't want to watch, but you just have to, even when the machine dropped him right at Ron's feet.
The scientist stood up immediately, yelling, "I'm okay, I'm Finn by the way," extending his hand to shake Ron's hand.
Ron smiled, taking the scientist's hand, and offered some conciliatory empathy, "I know how it is, I used to be terrible with machines too…"
Finn roughly pulled his hand from Ron's, and asked in an insulted tone of voice, "what do you mean by that," he got in Ron's face, which was a feat because Ron towered above the man by a head, "I'm a robotics expert?"
The two Possibles intervened with Jim putting his arm around Finn's shoulder, "speaking of which, Kimmy's going to help you recover the Project," he said in a whisper, behind his hand.
Kim extended her hand to say, "pleased to meet you doctor."
"Quietly please," Finn said, in an even quieter tone of voice, while shaking Kim's hand.
As they shook hands Kim's face went expressionless as she entered her mission mode, as Jim added, "if the theft gets out, it could mean big trouble for the space center."
Kim nodded, "I understand," then added, "and since it's my father, we'll look at this as a personal favor from me and Ron, to you dad," then thinking some more and looking over at Ron, who was buried in the crime scene again. "You okay with that Ron," she called to him, who just nodded, before plucking something from inside before standing up to inspect it?
"It means we can't involve Wade, we're gonna have to do this old school," Ron informed them. "We'll look at this as an early Christmas gift to you, Mr. Dr. P, and you owe us a favor for later," he added as he walked over to the group, all the while sniffing lightly what he found in the container. He was also scanning the hair with his Eye of Insight, behind his shades of course.
"A favor," Kim's father asked looking at his daughter, "and why can't you involve Wade?"
Kim smiled innocently, "think new and four-wheels, for when I get my DL next semester," she informed her father, before getting back to business. "If we ask Wade for help then it legally becomes a Team Possible case, which means we would have to draw up our standard contract, meaning we would own the device, and the Space Center would be buying it back from us at 1% it's total value, which brings it into the public domain…"
Her dad was nodding, as he remembered the crash course he got the first week of this month, in Team Possible object retrieval policy, my wife was right on the money with that one, "and since we need the theft to remain internal, as long as possible…"
"…exactly," Kim concluded, then turned to her best friend, hopefully more soon. "What did you find, Ronnie," she asked, as he joined the group.
Ron handed his evidence to his best friend, that he's in love with, cluing them in on his analysis, "blonde-hair belonging to a woman."
Finn's eyes widened, "how did you draw that conclusion, you didn't run any tests?"
"Let's see, the hair was long, but healthy, and unless it was a prized show dog, the shampoo and conditioner used to keep it healthy is the kind Kim, and just about every girl at my school uses," Ron answered the diminutive scientist. "Plus, the color and texture, matched the photograph I noticed on your desk, as we came in," Ron added pointing his finger at the desk, then adding in high freq to the two Possibles, "that, as well as the pheromonal signature matched of a post-pubescent woman. That, combined with my cellular analysis, tells me what kind of hair this is, he told them, as Kim gave a sniff of it as well.
"He's right," Kim concurred, "this is the same shampoo I and most of the cheerleaders keep in our lockers for after practice," then looking at the photo asked, "who is that, Finn? Her scent is also all over the lab, my suspicion of an inside job is getting more traction," Kim added to her family, yes in her mind Ron has always been family to her.
Finn turned and saw where he was pointing, "oh, that's Vivian, my ex-lab partner."
"Why ex," Kim asked?
Slightly, the defensive Finn answered, "she couldn't keep up, had to let her go."
While most humans would have been fooled, Kim and Ron were not most humans, that was the second lie Finn told them, since being in the robot lab. Jim added something, "didn't I hear that she quit?"
Finn answered dismissively, "trust me, she was pushed." And, thus the third lie Kim and Ron heard today coming out of Finn's mouth, and second over the same person, fell upon their animal acute senses.
Kim was now highly suspicious of Finn, but did not want to spook him, so she added, "maybe she holds a grudge," she asked hypothetically?
Ron's own suspicions were highly peeked, and he followed Kim's lead, "girls are big on grudges," he concluded.
Kim playing off Ron gave him a challenging glare, and with hands-on hips demanded, "says who?"
Ron returned the challenge with a riposte, "I don't know, KP, but whoever said, 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,' sure got it right, after all the times I've pissed you off."
Kim crossed her arms and turned her head before letting out an irritated, "hmpft," before turning to the now highly suspicious Finn, "Finn, do you know where we can find Vivian?"
After giving it some thought, he said, "Last I heard, she was spending all her time at the Robot Rumble."
"What is a Robot Rumble," she wondered aloud?
Later at the Possible House
Dr. Anne Possible was in the kitchen, getting dinner ready for the evening meal. She was still in her lab coat, only getting home from the hospital five minutes ago. Tonight, in honor of her house guests, specifically her nephew Larry, she was preparing her famous 'Brain Loaf,' which Larry, Ron, and her own boys loved. It was just your standard meatloaf, but it was shaped like an actual brain. It was remarkably anatomically correct, and as a neurosurgeon, Anne Possible would know that better than anybody. She had finished preparing the meat loaf and with the oven already preheated, she opened it and placed it inside.
"Now that's done," Anne said aloud to herself while looking at her watch, a gift from her husband on their last anniversary, she noted she had thirty minutes before it was ready. "Plenty of time to go get changed into something more comfortable than work clothes," she told herself. Anne walked through her home, passing by the family room, where her sons and nephew were playing video games on the family room television. "Supper's almost ready boys, don't get too engrossed in your game, now," she admonished them.
"We won't, mom," Jim assured her, "we're pretty hungry," Tim informed her.
"As you wish, oh Queen of the Realm," Larry acknowledged, from anybody else, Anne would have assumed he was mocking her, but she knew it was just his way of expressing himself.
Anne moved up the stairs, passing Kim's attic room entrance, the lights were on, telling her that Kitty was up in the room, relaxing after the long flight from Westchester, deplaning in Chicago's O'Hare to wait for her brother, before boarding the flight that brought them to Tri-City International Airport. Though Kitty was beyond healthy, thanks to the exercise regimen all the field operatives of the X-Men were required to follow, she like all teenage girls found dealing with their brothers, regardless of age, to be very taxing, especially when those brothers had only one hobby and talked about it incessantly.
After changing into sweats for the night, Anne made her way to the opening to her daughter's room. Poking her head up through the hole, preceded by, "knock, knock," Anne saw her niece lying full on Kim's bed, just relaxing, and looking at the ceiling.
Kitty turned her head, "Hey, Auntie Anne," she said, and gave a brief smile, before turning back to contemplating the ceiling.
Sensing turmoil, Anne came the rest of the way into the room, "Okay Kitty, out with it, why are you being so moody?" While the direct approach would not have worked with Kim, Kitty and Anne, who were more best friends than niece and aunt, have always had a strong bond. They were never ones to beat around the bush with each other and were always brutally honest with each other.
Kitty looked at her aunt in consternation, then huffing turned back to the ceiling, "Peter, broke up with me, just before I came here for Thanksgiving." She was more angry than sad about the breakup, which was what had her so moody. While she did cry a little over losing the relationship, that was the only thing she was sad about, she and the Russian had dated for a year, and she could not muster even a modicum of melancholy over how it ended.
Anne sat on her daughter's bed, placing a comforting hand on her niece's arm, who looked over in gratitude. "I'm sorry he ended your relationship," she began, "did he give you a reason," Anne asked?
"Yeah," she said bitterly, "he said, I was spending more time talking with some other guy than with him. He said, he didn't trust that all we were doing was chatting about computers, and coding, which was all we were doing," she yelled, pounding her fist into the mattress.
Anne squeezed her niece's arm, "sounds like Peter had some issues with trust, Kitty if that's the case, then the problem is with him," her aunt offered to her niece's nod. "Just how much time were you spending talking to this other guy?"
Kitty shrugged, "on average, just about two or three hours a day," she cringed, starting to see what Peter meant, "but there was nothing going on, we were just friends, who liked talking 'computers.'
Anne hummed, and curled an eyebrow, "and did anything else suffer, besides your relationship to Colossus?"
"I might have missed a Danger Room session or two," Kitty winced, as she realized that her anger was not directed at her ex, but at herself. "Peter was right to break up with me, I should have been making more of an effort to spend time with him," Kitty finally admitted.
Anne chuckled at her niece, "maybe, but maybe not, if you were having more fun speaking to some guy over the internet about computers, than your boyfriend, then maybe you and Piotr Rasputin, just weren't right for each other, and this was your subconscious telling you as much. So, don't beat yourself up too badly, that's what dating is for, try out different people to see if they are the one for you," Dr. Possible concluded.
Kitty smirked, "tell that to your daughter," she said, "I haven't been in her presence long, but even I've noticed how she is around Ron. Even over the summer and then again in September, most of the subjects we began talking about were, at least obliquely, related to her best friend," Kitty chuckled slightly to herself.
Anne nodded knowingly, "that's the difference between friends you've just met and eventually began dating, and life-long friends you're suddenly seeing in a different light. I've noticed the change between those two in the past few months," Kim Possible's mother included, "and she may think she's hiding it well, which she is for the most part, but I can tell a woman is in love when I see one."
Kitty nodded sagely at that, "and she's got it bad for a certain blonde-haired neighbor boy," she concluded.
"Exactly," Anne agreed.
Just then the front door opened and closed, "we're home," Jim called from the foyer! Which made the two women stand and make their way down, to greet the man of the house. They heard him and his daughter speaking quietly, "it's absurd that you would suspect him of stealing his own work," they heard James exclaim.
"Not really, many of the supervillains I've read about and met were frustrated geniuses, who were discredited," Kim argued, "then turned around and used their research to create some pretty bad things."
James was nodding as if conceding her point, "and you suspect Finn, in the theft of the Project?"
"No dad, Ron and I don't for a moment suspect Finn in the theft," Kim corrected, "our prime suspect is his lab partner, Vivian. We do not, however, fully trust Finn, and believe there is more to the story than what he is telling us," Kim informed her father.
By now, the father-daughter duo had reached the family room, where the males of the Possible-Pryde clan had gathered, still playing their video game. "Hey boys," James greeted his sons and nephew, "how goes the conquest of the Fissure, and the salvation of Petara?"
Larry spoke up first, "my army, the Lyons of Prydemania, have formed an alliance with the Immortals of Possibility, and are systematically countering all opposition."
"We're slaughtering them," Tim added, "we're showing them no mercy," Jim finished!
Jim Sr. mused, "the Prydes and the Possibles, that team up has always yielded rather positive results for me," he said as he heard his wife join him in watching the boys play. He turned and brought her into his embrace, delivering a greeting kiss as he added, "three positive results, that are still yielding great potential."
Anne's eyes alighted when she saw him, and when she heard him speak about their kids with pride, it was all she could do to control herself. Anne is a strong woman, but even she cannot help but go weak-kneed, when her husband speaks so endearingly about their life together.
Kim watches the exchange with longing, I so want that kind of relationship with Ronnie, she thinks.
Kitty also observes the moment, and cannot but feel jealous of her aunt's relationship, and wonders, will I ever have that kind of relationship with anybody? Then looking around says aloud, "where's Ron?"
"He's at home tonight, it's his night to cook for his family," Kim tells her, "he said he'll be over later to do some research on our case."
The Possible adults disengaged from each other, then Anne went to check on the Brain Loaf. James turned to the video game players, and announced, "alright boys go get washed up for supper, it'll be ready in a few minutes." Jim and Tim cheered and bolted for the bathroom, while Larry rolled up the cords and configured the entertainment center back to its original state.
"There now, Kate and Kim can watch 'Pals,' after dinner, which is still their favorite show, if I'm not mistaken," Larry stated, sending a sideways glance at his sister and cousin. He waited long enough to see them blush, before walking down the hall to wash his hands.
The Possibles and Kitty, were just sitting down to dinner, the brain loaf was in the center of the table, they were just waiting on Larry. It was at that moment that Ron walked into the house, pulling off his shades as he entered. "Hola, Possible-Pryde clan, what's going on this bon-diggity evening," he asked as he made his way to the dining room table? He tucked his glasses away into his pants, his golden-eyes, shut down, as he came to join his second family.
"Ron," the tweebs yelled from their seat!
"Good evening, Ronald," Mr. Dr. Possible said, giving him a jaunty wave.
"Ronnie," Kim exclaimed, her mood picking up significantly, "I mean… Ron, what are you doing here I thought you were cooking dinner tonight," she asked with a blush? Anne and Kitty saw and gave each other a knowing look.
Meanwhile, Ron answered Kim, while scratching the back of his head, "well, mom and dad, had a rare night off and decided to… rekindle the flame, so to speak," Ron said while turning beet red. "So, they booked a room, somewhere in Upperton, and without Rufus it was only me, and cooking for just yourself isn't as much fun as cooking for someone else so…," Ron trailed off, still scratching the back of his head, while looking away.
Wordlessly, Kim and Kitty stood up and moved their chairs to make room for Ron between them, while James moved a spare chair into the now empty spot. Anne went into the kitchen and brought back another plate, napkin, and silverware set, and placed them in the now open spot. Ron walked and sat down in the chair provided for him, by his second family, and hopefully more someday, Ron thought looking at Kim out of the corner of his eye. "Brain Loaf," Ron exclaimed, "coolio, Mrs. Dr. P.!"
Anne smiled, "We're just waiting for Larry to get started," she informed Ron, who nodded remembering Possible dinner rule number one, dinner does not start until everybody makes it to the table. "So, did I hear right about you and Kim investigating a theft at the robotics lab?"
"That's correct," Ron replied with a nod, "while the details must remain top secret, we can say that we have a suspect, but we can't seem to pin-point her location."
"Yeah, you'd think that the Space Center, known for building incredible scientific, and dangerous devices would have more on it's employees than name and credentials," Kim put in, then turned to her father and with a quirky eyebrow, looked pointedly at her father, "Dad."
James Possible winced at his daughter's rebuke, but defended himself with, "Sorry, Kimmy-cub, but we're scientists, security just isn't as high a priority at the Space Center as it is for places like NASA, JPL, or other such agencies."
Kim just shook her head in disbelief, "it's the lack of security at research labs that allow supervillains like Drakken and Dementor to pilfer research that can later be used against people like me or Ron, or other innocent people." Then looking at her partner Kim asked, "Ron, were you able to find anything on the clue given to us by that liar today?"
Ron was shaking his head before she finished her question, "no can do KP, I've searched every database I can think of including SHIELD and GJ sources, I even dipped a toe into the dark web, but I can find nothing about this 'Robot Rumble,'" he said using air quotes.
"Of course not Ronald," said a voice from behind them, "it wouldn't be much of a secret if just anybody could look it up on a computer." Everybody's head whipped in the direction of the voice to see Lawrence Pryde, walking in to take his seat across from Kim.
"Wait a minute," Kitty asked her little brother, "you know what he's talking about, Larry?"
"The first rule about Robot Rumble, don't talk about Robot Rumble," Larry answered, his voice getting husky. "Well, I have to do something to pass the time between your visits, Kate," Larry explained, "there's not much to do, in our town, for a nerd like me. I'm not athletic, not especially smart, and even I know I lack basic social graces unless I'm talking to someone via computer, so I made some friends with the smarter people in town, who like to build robots and make them fight to see which tech genius had the better design."
"Larry," Kim asked, gently, "would you happen to be able to locate where this Rumble takes place?"
Larry put his hand in his chin, stroking with his thumb and forefinger, "not around here…" he mused, which broke the tension in the room, then Larry ever the oblivious one in terms of physical human interaction, added, "but, I may know someone who does."
At this Anne broke in, "then let's eat before the loaf gets cold, then Larry can make a few phone calls, and see what he can do."
Somewhere in Middleton
"The Robot Rumble," Larry began as he, Kim, Ron, and his sister, came around the corner of a comic-book store, "is a community, a gathering where enthusiasts share information, as well as their robot's competitive capabilities." They were all dressed in their normal mission gear, Kim, and Ron in Team Possible gear, though Ron was carrying an old sax case that he would not tell any of them what it contained, though Kim had her suspicions, Kitty was dressed as Shadowcat, and Larry was wearing his normal clothing, and walked confidently to a light pole, he flipped open a small panel, pressing a few buttons, which caused an old freight elevator to open out of the sidewalk. All four teenagers stepped onto the elevator platform, causing the elevator to descend below ground level, "and it's for members only."
Kim rolled her eyes and quipped, "So, a bunch of tech geeks get together and watch robots fight," she said in a nutshell.
Larry just looked at her, before retorting, "and cheerleaders are nothing but frustrated, air-headed gymnasts, who get together and watch a bunch of Neanderthals fight over a piece of vinyl with air in it. I'm sorry, Cousin Kim, but who is helping whom here?"
Kitty rolled her eyes, "Kimberly, be grateful, you just insulted not only your dad, and most of your family, but also your best friend. Lawrence be nice, this is important for Uncle Jim."
Kim looked at Kitty then Ron, who was folding his arms and looking hard at his best friend, she lowered her head, but looked up at him through her bangs and mouth the words, "I'm sorry," before lowering her eyes all the way to the ground. Ron just smiled and pulled her into a hug, which she accepted gladly.
While they were hugging Ron made eye contact with Kitty, they grinned deviously as he brought his hand up and smacked her sharply in the back of the head. "I forgive you, now, Kim," then took her by the shoulders and turned her around to look at her cousin.
She turned her head back to look at her best friend, and a needle on her moral compass, who gave her a fierce silent order. Slumping her shoulders, then straightening to find Larry looking back at her with Kitty's hands on his shoulders, Kim looked him in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry for insulting you and your friends, Larry. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here or even have known where it was, so thank you. You're a better cousin than I am, so will you please forgive me?"
Larry took a deep breath, and said, "yeah, Kim, I forgive you, and on behalf of my friends forgive you there too." He looked back at Kitty, who gave him her own silent command, he turned back to his cousin, and said, "and I apologize for calling you and all cheerleaders airheads, will you please forgive me for my insults?"
Kim smirked, "what about the football players, and gymnasts crack?"
Larry's eyes hardened, "for those statements, I stand by my convictions," his jaw jutted out stubbornly.
Kitty and Ron just threw their hands up in frustration, but Kim just smiled and stepped over to her cousin. She put her arms around him, and kissed his cheek, "Larry, though I may not understand your hobby, I hope you understand how much I care about you and all my family." Larry nodded silently as the elevator came to a halt at the bottom of the shaft.
The quartet came to an old roller coaster car, and hopped in, "bon-diggity, the fights here remind me of the factory revolt in Beyond Omega-7! When this case is over I'm gonna try to come back here and test some of my designs against other robots."
Even Kitty was enthused, "I'm gonna see if I might be able to find a similar group in Westchester, when I get back from holiday." The car took off like a bat out of hell, and Larry continued to brief them on the particulars, "now my friend gave me a run down on the sensitivities of this group, he said to tread lightly around the person you're wanting to see, Vivian. Her boyfriend is really protective of her, and Oliver founded the Rumble," Larry informed them. They arrived at a door with some major security, as they approached the door a blue-green light flashed over them, obviously scanning them. It demanded a password entry to which Larry stepped up and said, "Republic Senator, Princess Leia Organa-Skywalker-Solo," which the scanners accepted and opened allowing them to enter. Before they entered, Larry turned to his family and reminded them, "I'm sticking my neck out for you three, don't embarrass me, please?"
They walked down a hallway and came out into a domed room, seeing a few people Kim and Ron knew from school and around town. They saw Ned from Bueno Nacho, so this is what he does on his nights off, they thought. Then a blonde they knew from science class, and Ron from E/C tech class, Justine Flannery. Justine was one of the few people other than Forge to compliment him over his use of small ticks instead of sexy machines. She had followed his example and began developing a butterfly that could fly using the same motions as butterfly wings.
Everybody in the room was looking down into a pit that was eight feet deep at the center, arching down into a ten-foot radius, symmetrical open plane curve, formed by the intersection of a cone, with a plane parallel to its side. At the bottom of the pit, two bots on wheels duked it out, they had pretty much the same design, only one looked more like a dish cover with a mace swinging above it, while the other at least looked a little streamlined, but sported an ax in lieu of a chain. The four teens watched the bout for a few minutes, with Ron whooping and cheering. Kim looked around and spotted another attractive blonde a little older than Kitty, off to the side, cheering the action as loudly as any of the teens in attendance. "Vivian," Kim asked as she went there with Kitty in tow, "my name is Kim Possible?"
Vivian recognized the name immediately, "there was a Dr. Possible at the Space Center."
Kim smiled in pride, "my dad."
"Oh," Vivian smiled, "he's nice."
"Yeah," Kim continued, "he asked me to help Finn."
"NOT Nice," and like that Vivian shut down, "I don't wanna help Finn," then shouted, "Oliver!"
From out of nowhere a shadow loomed over Kim, and a man that looked to be about Vivian's age, with brown hair, a portly body, and a very noticeable frown stepped up behind Kim. Kim looked at Vivian then at Oliver, she was not intimidated at all, she had taken down bigger men in her career, but two could play her game, "Ron!" This time it was Vivian's turn to gawp as Ron stepped up behind her boyfriend, in the last month his growth had plateaued at six-feet-one-inch and was even with Oliver.
They stared each other down, and Ron was sniffing the person in front of him, then he turned to Vivian and spoke in a low voice that only Kim, Oliver, and Kitty heard, "we're not here to start trouble, Dr. Porter," Ron's now deeper voice informed her. "We're only here to try and recover the prototype for the project and get to the bottom of why you stole it in the first place," Ron asked in the form of a statement.
Oliver just snorted, "are you gonna talk, or are you gonna rumble," as he placed a machine on the ground and activated it, and in minutes a bot that towered over them both was standing over them?
This is when Vivian spoke up, "I'll make you a deal, if you can defeat my boyfriend's battle bot, I'll spill my guts and even come quietly," she said coyly, looking at Kim, "if not, I won't, simple as that.
Kim however had a mysterious smile, as she turned to the other woman, "you've gotta deal."
It was Kitty's turn to step forward, "Far be it from me to rain on your parade Kimmy, but you don't have a robot handy, do you?"
Kim just smiled, "oh, we got robots," she said, then she walked up to Ron, "think it's ready for a real test?"
Ron shrugged, "I think so, no time like the present to test it. You know Oliver, right, that he's…," Kim just nods.
"We doin' this or what," Oliver asked?
"Keep your shirt on, bolt-breath," Ron bellowed, before turning to the case he brought, he reached inside and pulled out something he's been experimenting with, outside of class! Its fuselage was not one piece, but it consisted of a second section that bent in all directions like a spring, that was connected to an aft portion that held what could only be described as a tail. Its head looked a lot like a cat, only with no eyes, but it had the ears and whiskers of a cat. He took it out of the case and placed it on the edge of the pit. To everyone there, the way it lay, if they did not know any better, they would almost see legs folded under it, looking for all the world like a sleeping cat. Another item that came out of the case, was what looked like a joystick, but it was festooned with buttons and dials, the function of which the spectators could only guess. Ron flipped a switch and the j-stick lit up like a Christmas tree, the ears and tail began twitching and twisting, orienting toward the stick.
Kitty was surprised, "Kim, I knew Ron had started getting good at technology, but since when did he build that?"
Kim answered with pride, in the man she has finally admitted her feelings for, to herself at least, "he's been tinkering with it since day one of his tech class, everything he learns in that class, as well as what he's learned taking down supervillain doomsday devices, and even reverse engineering some of Wade's tech, with Wade's permission of course, have gone into what he has dubbed, Rufus the Third."
Ron inched a dial forward and the bot actually stood, and its whiskers also did some twitching, it seemed to focus in on the strongest robotic signals. The prototype project right in front of it, and another just as strong, but not as near to it. A holographic Head-Up-Display, projected itself into the air, giving Ron a high definition display of everything his bot sees. Ron pushed the stick forward, and the way it moved was clunky for a cat, but seamless and fluid for a robot.
"Wow," came a very impressed Justine Flannery. "That kid's in my tech class," she stated, "I mean it's far from the elegance of my papillon-bots, but very impressive nonetheless."
Vivian looked closely at the cat-bot's legs, and noticed they moved like the locomotion of well, a locomotive, the 'thighs' pistoned up and down, transferring energy down the hydraulic 'calves,' and into the foot which registered pressure, which extended and retracted as needed before transferring motion forward. That was just one leg, this same process was happening simultaneously with all four legs at once, and each leg seemed to synchronize with the other as the terrain changed. The cat-bot reached the edge and that's when Ron pulled the trigger on the joystick, there was the sound of compressed gas as the bot was launched off the edge and into the pit area. That's when Vivian breathed a sigh of relief, it was a remarkable piece of engineering, and the movement of the legs was truly extraordinary, but it was still so much smaller than her bot, there was no way it would defeat her baby.
Ron turned a dial up which caused the cat-bot's whiskers to become still and level. A pilfered traffic signal would go from red to green to begin the match. It turned green, and like a bullet, Ron's bot dashed forward right between the legs of the giant bot. Then it raced up the wall using static electricity and turned, giving him a view of the arena. At first everyone thought the little bot did nothing, then after a second the tank treads on the bot's feet crumble to pieces, causing the bot to topple to the pit floor, but Ron was not finished, he pulled the trigger and again the compressed gas fired from the bot. Ron's bot landed on the prone form of the Project bot, then opening its mouth swarms of ticks came vomiting up from inside the cat-bot, they swarmed all over the downed bot, locating all power sources, and doing what real ticks were meant to do, feed. The bot's LEDs blinked a few times before going out completely, the ticks scurried out of the bot's chassis and back into the cat-bot, where they deposited their energy in the capacitors, recharging their host bot.
"What was that," Vivian was gob-smacked, "the whisker-thing then the tick-thing," the astonished woman asked?
Kim smiled at her, "come on, the magician never reveals all his tricks, just the obvious ones, I will tell you however that the whiskers are made of vibranium," she said, "now talk to me, tell me why a top scientist such as Dr. Vivian F. Porter, would resort to stealing?"
Vivian was astonished, "you mean you know about me," Kim just nodded, and then, "fine I'll tell you everything?"
Return to the Space Center
The doors to the robotics laboratory whooshed open, and an irate Oliver marched in shouting, "I constructed that robot, and you stole it!"
Finn was not even surprised, and stood his ground, "that's a dangerous accusation," he retorted while grabbing the deactivated bot that had just been returned courtesy of Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, not one hour before.
"I'm all about danger," Oliver said, as he raised his arms to strike, which caused Finn to flinch!
Just then, Vivian burst in just in time, to save her one-time boss, "Oliver," she said running to grab his arms, "calm down!"
"Hello, Vivian," he greeted her with condescension.
"Finn," she spat, crossing her arms, giving him a dirty look.
Kim and Ron entered, and Finn rushed to them, "Kim Possible, thank God you're here, call security."
"Oh, we will," she said, crossing her arms, "and you'll give back the robot you stole." To say Finn was shocked would be like saying the galaxy was a big swirl in the sky. "You staged the whole theft, to cover up the fact that you never invented a thinking robot, because as a scientist, you suck," Kim spat.
Finn's face took on a dangerous cast, "so what, I've got the reputation, I built the robot, you stay away," he said, warding her off before trying to make a run for it.
Ron was quick to act as he called, "KP hook shot," and with that the Middleton High School cheerleading captain put her foot in the Middleton Mascots hands and with barely any effort threw her across the room, where she positioned her body with her foot out, and connected with the back of Finn's head, she landed and cartwheeled back to catch the Project as it flew up and into her hands.
Thursday at the McCoy-Possible-Pryde-Stoppable-Wagner Thanksgiving table
There was laughter a plenty, surrounding the table where love exists in one form or another. Whether love for spouse-to-spouse, parent-to-child, sibling-to-sibling, cousin-to-cousin. New bonds were forged, old bonds were renewed, and two of the budding romantic variety, wondering when they will have the courage to deepen their bond. Maybe next time?
