"Okay, so first off," Kim stands at the front of the room, smiling at her audience: Shego, Big Daddy Brotherson, and Hank. They're in the backroom to the Bermuda Triangle. Dingy and dark with a dusty pool table. "Thank you all for coming. I appreciate it."
Hank leans back, arms crossed, half-amused.
"I must say," Big Daddy leans in, hands pressed together. "I've never been included in planning before so this is exciting for me. What do you have in mind, Miss Possible?"
Kim eyes Shego for a moment, whom she's already ran this over with, and clutches her pointing stick. Gulps, and starts flipping through the blueprints she was able to snag from her mission archives of the Senior's Villa.
"The easiest way to get into the mansion is on the pretense that we're here to poach them as potential agents, that's why I want you present Big Daddy… and if it's not too big of an ask, I'd like Drakken to be present as well—"
"Why," Hank snaps immediately, because of course he has issues with this.
"Because," Kim tries not to bite her lip or show any other nervous tells. "We need to flatter him."
"No, we're not revealing Big "Big" Daddy's identity to anyone," Hank says with finality.
Kim eyes Shego who just smirks back; Shego did say Hank would act this way.
Rolling her eyes, Kim shrugs; she still doesn't see the difference between Drakken and his new moniker, but it's not worth bringing up. "Okay. So then Hank, I definitely need you there too. Two people makes it more official. Are you okay with that?"
Hank cocks his head back. "If Big Daddy is going…"
"Yes, my sweet," Big Daddy blows a kiss.
"Okay," Hank smiles warmly. "Go on."
Kim grins and flips a page. "The two of you will enter with Shego. Shego will sneak off to steal something, there's this diamond they got that's pretty well known. I was thinking we hit that."
"We're pretending to audition them," Shego explains. "Clever, right?"
"Aaaah," Hank plays his fingers against his armrests. "Meanwhile, you pull off the real heist, I presume?" He looks at Kim.
"Yes, there's an entrance only openable from the inside that Shego can spring for me once she starts her heist, it's en route to her destination so it should be fine," Kim explains. "I think this plan is airtight. There's some… complications with security but that's the basic rundown. You stall, Shego steals something, comes to you, they fail the audition and you leave, having returned the diamond. I've timed it out, I'll be out five minutes after you. But with all security attention focused on Shego, I think we'll be fine."
No one says anything after Kim finishes, which makes her kinda nervous. She rolls her hand against the pointing stick, hoping for some kind of approval so she get to work.
"It's not going to work out, Kimbo," Hank says finally. Big Daddy nods.
"Wh-why?" Kim asks. In the corner of her eye, Shego looks at Kim with I told you so flourish.
Hank gets up and moves up to the blueprints, flipping through them. "Because first off, they'll be expecting both of you , seeing how you two are both very familiar with the facility by now."
"But…" Kim frowns. "...they won't know I'm—"
"Kim," Hank stands up ramrod straight. "Honey. Everyone in the game knows now. The Cagan Family was widely known in the underground as one of our rivals, and you killed the head of their family. You'd have to be oblivious to not know Kim Possible is part of the Bermuda Triangle. So yes, you'll be expected, and when they realize it's only Shego going after the most obvious thing locked up in that mansion, they'll know something's up."
So they need a third pair of hands, Kim sort of anticipated this… but she hoped it wouldn't come to this. Someone who's not her or Shego to run a heist, with Shego on security detail.
"Problem number two," Hank flips through the pages fast, searching for something in particular. "The diamond is well-known, yes, but the Idol? No one knows about the Idol. Correct?"
"Y-yes," Kim stammers, narrowing her eyes. "Oh."
"Yes. Oh ," Hank sighs, finding it, the layout of rooms where the idol might be. No certanties there. "Won't it be suspicious when it becomes obvious you're after something so…" He gestures at the air. "...obscure?"
"Yes," Kim groans, slumping up against the wall. "Shit, I should have thought of that."
"Right, then all of a sudden the fake heist is a real heist," Hank explains. "And you two will be split up. Big Daddy and I will need protection, so you'll both get ambushed, as well as myself and Big Daddy. I understand what you're getting at here, but there's too many variables and we don't have a deadline on this one, so… I'm sorry, Possible. We can do better."
Kim frowns, fidgeting. She's really at a loss now. Aside from that one idea that she knows is the solution.
Thankfully for her, Shego picks up on that, that Kim has one more idea up her sleeve, and gets to her feet. "Now hold the phone, Hank. We can just add more people to the opp. A third set of hands, Hell, maybe even a fourth, makes the world of a difference."
Hank considers it, looking away to think.
Kim mouths a quick Thank you over to Shego, who just shrugs in return. Both girls look to Hank patiently.
"No," Hank sighs. "I'm sorry, no. Shego, you're Top Tier and Possible you're… no offense, Mid Tier. I don't have anyone else in-between you two to station in a way that will make a difference."
Kim snorts immediately. " Mid Tier ? Excuse me—"
"I'm saying you don't have powers," Hank groans like he expected this outburst. "Shego's our only meta-human, and when the problem is that we're outnumbered and spread thin, powers are the solution."
Kim doesn't say anything.
Hank smiles when it's clear this is scrapped and turns away. "Big Daddy, you hungry? I'm hungry."
"Famished," Big Daddy grins. "Ladies, would you be interested in a double date?"
Kim starts to say No when Shego cuts in with, "Yeah, sure. Sounds chill."
Damn.
Hank pulls his coat on, as does Big Daddy. Meanwhile, Shego comes in from Kim's side and looks at her. When Kim bows her face down further, Shego gently moves some of Kim's hair away so she can see her better.
"Yo. You okay?" Shego whispers.
Kim's jaw tenses. "Stop. I have an idea."
Hank and Big Daddy look back, quietly sitting back down and slipping out of their coats. Shego backs off, some uncertainty in her expression; she knows all about Kim's plan except for this .
"Ron Stoppable," Kim speaks with caution. "Is extremely powerful and would make for a good asset."
Hank groans and Shego growls, Kim holds a hand up to silence them. "I'm serious. The Seniors won't not expect Ron to ever be fielded and he has the juice to back us up. Shego, you'd be with Hank and—"
"Kimmie," Shego squeezes the bridge of her nose. "It's not the strategy I'm bothered by."
Kim sucks on her lower lip. "Okay, I know it's risky but he wants to help."
Hank slides into one hip, crossing his ankles. "I don't know. You seemed to not want to work with him a few months back."
"We didn't need him for the Fiske thing," Kim waves a hand. "We need—someone, for this. Trust me. I can control him."
Shego raises an eyebrow. " You can control him? Huh."
Kim blinks. Shego did not just insinuate that. "Are you being serious right now?"
Shego shrugs. "Kimmie, he… Hank. Big Daddy. Do you mind?"
"Not at all," Big Daddy gets up, waving for Hank to follow. "I trust your judgment, Shego. This is up to you."
Hank snorts and straightens his tie, but nods along and leaves the room with Big Daddy.
Shego immediately turns on Kim before she can defend herself. "He abused you, and—I'm sorry, but you have to know he's still manipulating you, even now, right?"
Kim turns away, moving her hair so it covers her face. "I know he is. I… I had lunch with him the other day—"
"...you what?!"
"—let me finish, please," Kim reaches out and squeezes Shego's hand. Shego snorts and turns away in a huff. Kim frowns. "He's not really sorry, he doesn't understand why what he did was wrong. He just knows it hurt me, and because he needs me to help him right now… trust me. I'm not doing this because I want him around."
Twin wrinkles pull under Shego's eyes. "Are you sure you're not?"
Kim sighs. "I'm not. Sorry."
Shego's eyebrows bump up in surprise. "Oof, thanks for being honest but that's a red flag."
Kim squeezes her elbows. "Shego, I… I don't know. I want to do this. And we need him for this one. I honestly don't see a way around it, at least in a way where no one gets hurt."
"Are you sure about that? Didn't you say he used to kill people when he thought you and Wade wouldn't notice?"
"He did, but I don't think he will for this," Kim shrugs. "I can be his handler this one time. Besides, I don't think we can kill Ron. Even if we wanted to."
Shego leans in curiously. "Really?"
"I've been thinking about it," Kim says tonelessly. "He should be dead. Statistically, he fucked up so much on our missions when we were kids, and he survived out of blind luck. Remember that whole Ron Factor thing?"
Shego rolls her eyes.
" It was his powers ," Kim says meaningfully. "They didn't figure it out, but that has to be it. His powers were preventing him from dying because… I don't think he's physically capable of dying like us. So we need the Idols. I know there are other missions I can run and be part of, but this… is important to me, Shego."
Shego cracks a soft grin and reaches out to touch Kim's cheeks. "Okay."
"You sure?" Kim asks.
"No, but… I think this one time, okay. We can try it. There are… some precautions we'll need to take. I'll need to meet with him personally to make it very clear that he is to stick to your script. Or else."
"Or else what?"
"He can't come along," Shego leans back. "I am not letting him hurt you, though fuck. I want to hurt him, Kim. I really do. Bastard."
"I know," Kim feels so drained. Just from talking. Just from words. "I'm sorry I met with him without telling you. It was kind of impromptu, he just… showed up at my apartment."
Shego frowns. "Creep."
"I know, I've made it clear to him that he can't ever do that again," Kim groans, kicking at the air. She thinks for a moment. "But it doesn't mean anything. He can do literally whatever he wants. He can go back on his word with no repercussions. I need his powers gone, Shego. I'll be able to sleep again."
Shego doesn't say anything, so Kim looks up and—damn, Shego's eyes are glassy and her grip on the armrests is weak. She sucks on her lip and gets up with a start. "I'm going to bring them back in, okay?"
Kim feigns a smile that hurts. "Sure."
A few days later, Ron comes in without much fanfare. They meet in a different place, some arbitrary Italian restaurant they rented out as a fake Bermuda Triangle. Ron cannot know where the real one is after all.
Ron laughs and cracks jokes while shaking hands with Hank and Big Daddy, decidedly not reading the room that he's not particularly welcome here. He's dressed like a 'cool guy' with a zipper-loaded leather jacket and sunglasses, his hair casually messy. There's confidence oozing with his gait, and that intimidates Kim.
It bothers her how he's always been so… so… fine . He never has problems. Bad things just bounce off him. He always seems so put together.
Ron steps into a backroom much like the one at the Bermuda Triangle, and takes a seat.
Shego looks at Kim meaningfully, gesturing for her to step out, but no. Kim shakes her head and takes a seat besides Shego, and to make things very clear and transparent, takes her hand and squeezes it.
"I know this isn't the real joint," Ron drawls. "Next time, don't put so much effort into tricking me."
Kim narrows her eyes and focuses. She can feel it, this phantom tendrils gently gliding through the air, stroking her head, reading her mind. She only recognizes it because she's had so much… physical contract with his powers. "Stop," she says suddenly. "Now."
Ron whistles and leans back, pulling his powers back.
Shego raises an eyebrow, not quite sure at what just happened, but shrugs it off.
"You are only here because of extenuating circumstances," she says carefully, voice cutting like a knife. "Everything you learn here will be kept secret. Additionally." She cocks her head to the side and raps her fingers against the armrests. "You will do as told and nothing more, nothing less. Any violations of this and I can make things very hard for you."
Ron opens his mouth, but hesitates.
"That's right, Stopstop, choose your words carefully," Shego drawls. "If you hurt her in the slightest… if you even allow yourself the faintest passive aggression, I will destroy you."
Ron clamps his jaw tight and nods, his anger is on his sleeve though. He's not going to try anything nasty, he can't.
Still, she's seen this dark expression far too many times, just never when she was with someone else.
He only cornered her when they were alone. Coward.
"Oh, you're mad, I can tell," Shego hisses. "I feel it. I'm like you, I'm super-powerful, and your anger, your power , is heating the room. Can you feel that Kimmie?"
Kim does feel it so she nods.
"I'm serious, Stoppable," Shego cackles. "You don't have a lot of wiggle room here. One mistake and you are out the door. And I know what you're thinking—you're more powerful than me, I can't make you do anything." Her voice drips into this twisted seduction, it vaguely reminds Kim of her past with this woman. It should scare her but if anything, it makes Kim want her so much more. "It doesn't matter. I'll squash you like a bug. Now. Blink twice if you understand."
Ron sniffs loudly and leans back into his chair, fidgeting with his shoulders. His face scrunches up and he nods, blinking once.
Then twice.
"Good," Shego coos. "Then we'll speak of this no more. Let's get to work."