A/N: Welcome to the third installment. This one was a request from DasChillyOne to fill a gap in his story he didn't really have a good opportunity to fill. Not a lot of extra notes on this one. As always, I own nothing, if it looks like a reference, it is, and original crossover credit goes to DasChillyOne. The next one I plan to release will be KP 2:12 - Rufus vs. Commodore Puddles.
"Ron-dentity Crisis" OR "One Ring to Ron Them All"
Time: Between 14 and 15 (it is still on Ron's mind when Kim says his fighting skills are not quite adequate)
Source: KP episode 1:20 Ron the Man
Retconning: Hench name is withheld until Kim meets him and requires an NDA (in HoaH, Danny doesn't hear the name until Chap 23). Changed Hench's private jet to something more realistic for the purposes of concealing his identity. Ron's mind is significantly more affected by the ring in a bad way. Drakken henchmen dialog added (wanted to include a joke from another source, put it in a review if you can identify it). Timeline slightly altered to make more sense.
When one wants to create terrifying doomsday weapons like a continuum-transfunctioner, an Illudium Q-36 explosive space modulator, or a cobalt thorium G device, it is best to not have many neighbors nearby, if any at all, and to have excellent security. This security serves two purposes. The first is to protect the knowledge of the device. Secrecy is the best defense, because once that shroud is pierced, the second purpose of security becomes paramount. That is physical security and is something that can't be done on the cheap. Otherwise, it is just a dinner bell to every villain, thief, and opportunist in the world.
One not so secret anymore lab had prepared such a meal and guests were on their way. This lab was situated near the peak of a near vertical mountain in the Rockies, and a hungry villain and his goons were quietly scaling that mountainside. The first to reach the lab entrance was Shego. She flipped over the side ready for a fight and immediately began looking for threats. Seeing none, she waved her companions on and said, "Be ready to move on my signal."
As she crept forward, her boss, Drakken, called out between gasps, "Shego, wait up."
She looked back exasperated and saw her boss and all the other henchmen in various states of exhaustion from propped against a wall to completely lying down. The common theme was all of them were having trouble breathing either from exertion, altitude, or some combination of the two. Drakken himself was on his hands and knees clutching his throat from lack of oxygen. Shego pinched her nose in annoyance before the moment was interrupted by a rumbling near the labs' entrance. Just as it got everyone's attention, the door exploded. Drakken had covered his head, while Shego just got buried in rubble. While she was working to dig herself out, the person responsible for the explosion cackled maniacally as he exited.
"Ha, ha ha ha! Victory is MINE!" he shouted as he raised his fists high in celebration.
When Drakken heard the voice, he looked with surprise and shouted, "Professor Dementor?"
Dementor gave Drakken a derisive glare and replied, "Dr. Drakken." He switched to a more patronizing tone and said, "Hello. What brings you here?"
Drakken stood up to answer in a superior tone, "I plan to steal the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer with which I will wreak much havoc."
Dementor smiled mockingly as he held up a grey metal cylinder and said, "Zis Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer?" as he gestured to his prize.
Drakken shouted, "You can't steal it! I want to steal it!"
"Too bad," Dementor mocked as he dangled the device in Drakken's face. He then snapped his fingers and said, "Come, my loyal henchmen!"
Four incredibly nimble and impressively muscular henchmen in grey uniforms exited the lab with somersaults and flips and landed in a line in front of Dementor. Drakken watched the display and then looked back at his group of out-of-shape misfits with angst.
"To ze sky!" Dementor shouted as each of his henchmen activated their jet pack in turn as they made their escape.
Drakken folded his arms like a petulant child and grumbled, "I really wanted that Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer. Hmpf!"
Behind him, rocks clattered to the ground as Shego finally dug herself out of the rubble. Despite being buried, she still heard everything that had been said. "I guess we're done here then?" she asked deflated as she dusted off her shoulder. Drakken nodded his head sadly. Somehow the climb down the mountain was more difficult than the ascent. It might have had something to do with the fact that they were leaving empty handed.
Back at Amity Park, Barkin was standing before a class of history students. "Alright, listen up. I regret to inform you that Ms. Jenkins made a mistake many first year teachers make. She ate the meatloaf." The entire class gasped in horror. The meatloaf was not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.
He continued, "Now, until she's out of intensive care, I'll be covering her class. So let's begin with a pop quiz." The class gave a collective groan as Barkin began rubbing his hands in excitement.
Kim interjected, "Er, Mr. Barkin, we were supposed to present our personal history projects today."
"Personal history projects?" Barkin asked incredulously.
"It's great. We each did a project that explores who we are," Monique explained.
Ron added, "There was only one rule, have fun."
"Have fun?" Barkin asked as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "No wonder the meatloaf got her. She's weak," he said to himself. He sighed and announced to the class, "Alright, bring on the projects."
Each student presented in turn until it was Ron's turn. "We all know Ron Stoppable is the man, but can he prove it? I believe we can with this collage," he said as he proudly held up his project. It was a poster with various pictures of Ron throughout his life. The centerpiece was a certificate from his Bar Mitzvah.
Barkin was unimpressed. "'Collage?' That's a French word, isn't it? Points off for that."
Ron continued undeterred as he pointed out each part. "It's all here, Mr. B. From birth to Bar Mitzvah and beyond."
"I'm not so sure about this," Barkin said as he spotted an error.
"Don't feel bad. Many people are unfamiliar with Jewish traditions. The Bar Mitzvah occurs when a boy is 13 years old. It's ferociously cool. You go to temple; you read from the Torah and boom, you're a man. My rabbi even printed out a souvenir certificate, which he signed," Ron said proudly.
"Correction, which he did NOT sign." Barkin said as he pointed out the error he spotted earlier.
Ron was shocked as he looked at the certificate. "No way! Rabbi Katz definitely…did not sign," he said weakly.
Barkin almost lifted Ron from his despair with what he said next. Almost. "Some would say that your reading from the Torah before the assembled, that's what's important," he said.
Ron's spirits raised and he said, "Yeah? You think so?"
Then they flagged with Barkin's words. "I said some, not me! I'm a stickler for detail. You got a certificate here you're parading around that's not signed."
Ron was crushed as he slowly shuffled back to his seat. Kim was worried for her best friend, but that would have to wait till after class. I swear, that man is just a walking rain cloud, she thought about Barkin. Fortunately lunch was next so the whole gang could help try to cheer him up. As everyone sat down, the usual human vacuum didn't have an appetite. He wasn't very talkative either. Everyone wanted to know what was wrong so Kim explained, "He was doing his personal history presentation when Barkin spotted that his Bar Mitzvah certificate was unsigned. Ron's bummed because he thinks that invalidates it and doesn't think he's a man anymore."
Tucker thought for a moment and said, "You know in Klingon society, a boy becomes a man the day he can hold a blade."
Ron was unmoved while everyone else had some variation on how they didn't think that would work. Danny was first to respond with, "Tucker, I don't think we can just hand him a knife and call it a day, plus he isn't a Klingon."
Valerie was next as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Tucker. I'm your girlfriend, and I care about you a great deal, but I have to say, sometimes you are just too nerdy for your own good."
Tucker patted her hand with an understanding smile. "I know," he said, "My point is, both are based on action; what a person can do or what they did and not a piece of paper. The ceremony, the action is what matters, not a little ink."
Sam added, "Despite Tucker's excessive nerding out," as she shot the bereted boy a glare, "He's right. I don't have anything like that from my Bat Mitzvah but that doesn't invalidate any of it. I know your parents will tell you the same thing. You are no less a man with or without that certificate."
This made sense to everyone, but Ron just could not be swayed. He had not forgotten when Kim told him he wasn't all that good in a fight when the Director called them in last time. He knew she was right, but it still hurt to hear. That "piece of paper" was more to him than just a souvenir. It was THE one tangible piece of proof that he was a man. Everyone did their best to comfort their friend, but there was little they could do. This was something Ron had to find within himself.
Sam was so concerned for Ron she ended up telling Ron she would be coming over to his house for dinner. Given his current state, she didn't think asking would be effective. She wanted to help, but didn't quite know how. Encouraging words were not her strong suit. She did remember something Danny did for Tucker and her when they were down. Something she could do too. Just be there in his space.
As they came through the door, Ron's parents were pleasantly surprised when Ron brought a girl home for dinner. They were already aware of her unique diet so they were able to cobble something together for her in short order. However, it seemed that their son wasn't happy, but they couldn't tell why yet. It wasn't her by the way she seemed to be trying to comfort him, and he wasn't trying to push her away. They hadn't heard about anything at school so they didn't think anyone had been hurt. They just couldn't figure it out so they would have to eventually ask.
As for Sam, she wasn't saying much. Partly it was because this sort of thing was hard for her to do, and partly it was because there wasn't much left to say that hadn't already been said. She knew all about the Bar Mitzvah and what mattered in it. All she could do was just be there for him while they waited for dinner.
Once they all sat down and gave the blessing, Sam said, "Thanks for having me over without any warning Mr. and Mrs. Stoppable."
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, dear. You are welcome anytime," Ron's mom replied with a smile. Everyone began eating except one person. Fortunately, Rufus was graciously ensuring that person's food didn't go to waste by stuffing it into his own face. "Ok Ronnie, we were waiting for you to tell us on your own, but now we need to know. What's wrong?" his mom finally asked.
Ron sighed, "I've been living a lie all these years. My Bar Mitzvah certificate was never signed. I'm not a man!"
"Oh, Ronnie, you have not been living a lie," his mom said.
"Have so," Ron juvenilily retorted.
Ron's dad chimed in and said, "If it makes you feel better, drop by temple tomorrow and get Rabbi Katz to sign it."
Ron's mom unfortunately shot that down. "Well, no honey, it'll have to wait till next week. Rabbi Katz is at that rabbinical conference in Vegas, remember?"
His dad responded, "Oh, right."
"Oh! So I've got to wait a whole another week to be a man?" Ron asked, a little frightened.
His dad replied with the same sage advice Tucker had given minus the nerd-isms. "That stuff is not what makes you a man."
"Tucker and Sam said the same thing, but it's the only proof I've got." Ron lamented.
The fatherly advice was not done. "What's important now is 'what kind of man are you?'. And THAT is defined by your actions." his father said.
Ron still wasn't over the lack of official certification and said, "I don't know," before asking his support animal, "Rufus, what do you think?" The naked mole rat was not much help as he was lying on Ron's empty plate with a distended belly and contented smile. His only reply was a belch.
Sam chimed in, "Ron, everyone you trust is telling you the same thing. Please believe us."
Ron took a deep breath and said, "Thanks everyone. I'll…need some time. Thanks for coming over Sam." He then stood up from the table and went to his room. He had some soul searching to do.
As Ron left the table, his dad turned to Sam and said, "Thanks for trying to help our son, Sam. We really appreciate it."
"Sure," the goth replied, "He's my friend, and that's what friends do."
After their lackluster performance at the mountain lab, Drakken had called a morning meeting for the henchmen. Most of them were already there, but they were waiting on one more. Each was doing something different. One was reading a book, another was napping, and another was playing a video game with gusto. "Hah! Suck it, blue!" he exclaimed with a smile as his game progressed. The last portly henchman arrived carrying a box of donuts for the group. There was something he was hoping to distract the rest of them from. It wouldn't work.
As the donut box was put down, the book reader went for the sweets. "Oh, a cruller, my favorite." He was about to take a bite when he noticed the donut bringer's uniform. He nudged the video game player who looked up with a double take.
"Hey, dude?" the gamer said.
"What?" the donut bringer replied.
"About your uniform," the gamer said again.
"What about it?" the donut bringer said as he tried to play off.
"How do I put this…Your uniform is, um…It's a little…You wanna help me out here?" the gamer stammered as he asked for help from the reader.
"It's pink. Your uniform is freakin' pink." the reader declared bluntly.
"Yeah, that's it. Pink." the gamer added.
"It's not pink," he declared.
"PINK," the reader retorted.
"Yeah, definitely pink," the gamer added.
"You guys are just color blind. Why would I wear a pink uniform?" he said defensively.
The other two just gave him a sideways look while snickering.
"It's not pink! It's umm, it's just lightish red." the donut bringer defended again.
"Guess what?" the reader said between snickers, "They already have a color for 'lightish red.' Know what it's called? PINK."
"It's not my fault! My mom mixed a little bleach in my laundry by mistake!" the donut bringer tried to deflect. This just caused the others to go from snickers to complete belly laughs. The donut bringer sighed, "I hate you guys."
While they were still laughing, Drakken and Shego entered the room. He spotted the donuts and went for one before he noticed something unusual. There were three red uniforms and one that wasn't. He stared at the oddball and asked, "Why are you wearing pink?"
"Ask his mom," the reading henchman interjected between laughs.
The offending henchman was still defensive from his conversation with his comrades and sharply responded "It's not pink! It's lightish red!"
Drakken glared at the perceived insubordination, and the henchman cowered before apologizing.
Drakken sighed and shook his head, "You know what, I don't care. Just get it fixed." He then walked over to the sleeping henchman and kicked his feet off the chair they were propped up on, waking him in a startle as he fell to the ground. Shego just went to the corner of the room, took a seat, and propped her feet on a desk. She passed the time Drakken was about to waste filing her nails.
"Now that you are all paying attention, I must say that all of your performances have been inadequate. Let's review," he said as he rolled a montage of his henchmen's recent actions.
Each vignette was worse than the last. The first was their inability to work together to scale a wall. The next was the portly one trying to fly a jet pack. Unfortunately he was far heavier than the pack's lifting capacity and never made it off the ground before the pack failed completely after several attempts. This earned accusatory glares from his comrades sitting on either side of him. The last and most damning was the other three sitting at the Bueno Nacho gorging themselves. One was even so fat, he exceeded the chair's capacity and caused it to collapse, tipping the table over in the process. Drakken's hand planted itself on his forehead and drug itself down to his chin.
"I stand corrected. It's not only inadequate, it is embarrassing," Drakken groaned.
"So do what Professor Dementor does," Shego suggested, not even looking up from her nail file.
"And what is that?" Drakken growled
"Visit Jack Hench," she replied nonchalantly.
"Grrrrrrr! Oh, please. Every villain on the planet uses Hench," Drakken said while clenching his fists. "Not me. I paddle my own canoe, thank you very much," he continued proudly.
Shego retorted, "Pffft! You're just too cheap."
"His prices are outrageous!" he shouted.
Shego finally stopped filing her nails and stood up. "Alright, alright. I'll infiltrate his research facility and, you know, maybe I can find some 'free samples.'"
"Please, Hench never gives free anything," Drakken said a little confused before the lightbulb came on. "Ohhh, you mean stealing, don't you?"
Shego rolled her eyes and answered, "Doy!" as she strolled out of the lair.
With a big smile and gleam in his eye, Drakken said, "Very good then. Steal something wonderful." He then turned to one of his henchmen and shouted, "And you. Fix your uniform. NOW!" Drakken then left the briefing room with another donut and went to his office to await word from Shego.
The next morning at school, Ron had still not recovered. Sam was still by his side, and like before, all she could do was be there for him. As he was plodding along on the way to class, he wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into Mr. Barkin. "Oh, hey, sorry, Mr. B.," Ron said apologetically.
"Stoppable, Manson," he said in his typical curt greeting. Barkin could see that Ron was still depressed, and tried to apologize in his own way. "I can't help but feel somewhat responsible for your current funk," he said.
Because you are, jerk, Sam thought.
Ron replied, "Actually, I'm on to a new funk. My dad said the question isn't am I a man, it's what kind of man. And I gotta tell you, I'm just not sure."
Barkin tried to help with advice, but he only had one tone and one way of speaking; brutally blunt. His advice was about to push Ron further into depression. "It's easy. You're small and weak," Barkin said.
This got both of their undivided attention. "What?!" Sam shouted indignantly while Ron just stood there with his mouth agape. He wasn't sure he heard that right.
Barkin expounded, "Stoppable, the ideal man is big and or strong. You are neither."
Ron retorted, "I get by."
"That's not the only ideal," Sam growled.
Barkin ignored Sam and countered, "You get rescued by a girl."
"Sometimes," Ron said defensively.
"Frequently," Barkin corrected.
"So what!" Sam shouted with a scowl.
Barkin finally turned his attention to Sam and cocked his eyebrow. He didn't appreciate students speaking to him in that tone. Fortunately, before things could get worse, Kim and Danny came around the corner and saw Ron. Just who I was looking for, she thought. "Been looking everywhere for you, Ron. Hey, Mr. Barkin," Kim said.
"Possible, Fenton," he greeted.
Kim grabbed Ron by the arm and began pulling him to her locker. Wade had sent a message that he needed to talk to them about a job at her locker station. Sam shot Barkin one more defiant glare before following.
Ron was thinking about what Barkin had said and asked, "Kim, how often would you say you rescue me?"
She replied unsurely, "Er, I don't know. Sometimes? Hm, frequently? Why."
"Frequently?" Ron asked meekly to himself, not answering the question.
"Again, so what?" Sam said again no less forcefully, but his time less angrily.
Kim stopped before they got to her locker and looked at her best friend. In another time or place, she might have paid it no mind. However, after her personal growth due to her unique relationship with Danny and Star, she noticed something about what he asked and how he replied, and it made her worry. "What's wrong, Ron?" she asked.
He wasn't sure how to say it. Between what his father said and what Barkin pointed out, he was having a crisis of identity. Who am I? and What am I? swirled in his mind.
Danny put his hand on Ron's shoulder and said, "Ron, we're your friends. We've fought bad guys together. Whatever it is, we can help." Sam closed in and put her hand supportively on his back.
Ron sighed, "Ok, my dad said I shouldn't worry about whether I AM a man and instead figure out what KIND of man I am. I told Mr, B. that and he told me I am a small and weak one who gets rescued by a girl, frequently. What kind of man is that?" Pouring himself out like that also came with a few tears.
Kim pulled him into a hug and said, "Oh Ron. Me rescuing you has no bearing on what kind of man you are. Don't forget you've rescued me too. We're a team. We rescue each other."
Danny patted Ron on the back and added, "I won't deny, strength is important, and hitting the gym regularly will do you good, but what is more important is courage, and from what I can tell, you have more than all the rest of us combined."
Ron looked at him and asked, "Even when I'm scared?"
Danny looked at him seriously, "That's the only time you CAN have courage. Remember the Fright Knight? I was terrified the entire time."
Ron took a deep breath and felt a little better. They were right. Everyone was right. Kim and Barkin were right when they said he didn't have enough strength, Kim and Sam were right again that the save count didn't matter, and Danny was right about his courage and how he should workout more. He resolved himself to be a man that was better, stronger, and braver. "Ok," Ron said. "I think I'm better now. So, what did you need me for?"
Kim was reminded of why she was looking for him and said, "Wade has a mission, and he was going to fill us in at my locker."
"Let's get to work then," Ron said with a little more confidence. He wasn't all better but he was moving that direction.
The quartet finished the walk to Kim's locker and she opened it to see the screen was already on. "OK, Wade, we're here. What's the sitch?" she asked.
Wade replied, "We got a hit on the site from someone called 'H.'"
"Who?" Kim asked, confused.
Wade just shrugged his shoulders. "Whoever he is, he must be wealthy. The helicopter sitting outside the school is top of the line," he said.
"What makes him think I'll accept such a shady invitation?" Kim asked with her arms crossed.
"Drakken," Wade said. "Apparently he stole something important from him."
Kim pursed her lips and sighed. "Fine," she said. "Give Ron and I five minutes to change into mission clothes, and we'll be onboard."
"You got it," Wade said as he ended the call.
Danny gave Kim a hug and kiss before she left to change, "Be careful, Kim. Something about this feels…off," he said.
"You too, Ron," Sam added.
"I will," Kim said with a smile before turning her attention to Ron. "Let's go, Ron."
"Right behind you, K.P.," he replied. He gave Sam a firm nod as he left.
The helicopter was incredibly fast. Wade was right about it being "top of the line." In fact, it wasn't even a helicopter but a Leonardo NGCTR tiltrotor heavily modified for extra speed and luxury. This was even more impressive as these weren't even on the market yet. They still had no idea where they were going. Kim was looking for any kind of logo or insignia that would give her a clue as to who she was doing a job for, but there was nothing. Whoever this person was, he knew how to keep his name a secret when he wanted.
When they finally approached their destination the duo was speechless. The complex was massive. The front of the building finally revealed their employer as Hench Co. Upon landing, an aide escorted them to the CEOs reception area.
When the blond secretary saw them come through the door, he greeted them. "Why you must be Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. I'll let Mr. Hench know you're here. Please sign these while you wait," he said as he handed Ron and Kim clipboards with a form on them.
"What's this?" Kim asked.
The secretary replied, "A standard Hench Co. non-disclosure agreement form. While here and performing services for the company and its officers, you will be privy to various corporate secrets and you will be required to keep secret everything you see and hear including the name of the company."
"Is this really necessary?" Kim asked skeptically.
"I'm afraid it is," the secretary replied.
After Kim and Ron signed the forms and handed them back, the secretary returned to his desk and began answering the phone. "Hench Co., please hold. I'm sorry, sir, Mr. Hench is booked solid all morning. Can he ring you back? Super."
While he was on the phone, Kim was looking around suspiciously. "I don't like this," she said.
Ron had picked up a magazine and was focused on that. "Me either. These questions they're asking. Manliness quiz? Ha!" he said. He completely missed the creepy vibe Kim was picking up on.
She tried to get him back on track by saying, "I meant the whole Hench Co. vibe," but he was too far into the magazine's quiz. Kim just rolled her eyes and shook her head. Looks like she would have to find answers herself.
She went up to the secretary and asked with a smile, "Excuse me, could I get a bottled water please?"
"You bet," said the secretary excitedly as he got up from his chair and ran off.
Kim smirked and got behind his desk to start snooping. It didn't take long to find what she was looking for as the documents were right on top. "Senor Senior Senior? Professor Dementor? This guy Hench deals with every villain bent on global conquest!" she declared. Danny was right about this being off. It was time to get more answers. She turned to Ron to get him, but he was still engrossed in the quiz.
"OK, my manly score could not be that low. Kim, check my math. Ahhh!" he said as she grabbed him by the arm and yanked.
"Come on," she said.
Kim and Ron walked over to the security door opposite, and she pulled out her Kimmunicator. The device shot out a corded plug and into a port on the door effectively hacking it. Once the door opened, the duo slipped through. On the other side was an almost funhouse type hall with large purple spots covering every surface. They were quiet, but it didn't matter. They had already been discovered. The "spots" silently opened, and purple clad muscular henchmen came out. They came out of the walls, the floor, even the ceiling. Soon enough they were surrounded by too many grinning goons to count.
The two were back to back as Kim threw the first punch to get the party started. Given how outnumbered they were and with only one real fighter, Kim was doing quite well. Numerous henchmen were punched, kicked, or thrown to the ground. Ron tried to make some kind of escape but ended up right back beside Kim after rolling around. Kim knew in her heart that the battle was hopeless. There were just too many, but that didn't mean she was going to go down without a fight. Danny, I'm sorry, she thought. Lucky for her, today was not the day she lost.
"People, people. Miss Possible is my guest," a voice behind the wall of purple muscle sounded. The goons immediately stopped their aggression and returned to their various "spots" before closing them up again.
Soon enough, they were alone with the owner of the voice that called them off, but not before Ron let off one last parting shot, "That's a good call, fellas, cos, you know, I was primed to make my move!"
The owner of the mysterious voice mused, "The hero and the sidekick. Classic. Welcome Ms. Possible and Mr. Stoppable to my company HQ. My name is Jack Hench."
Kim was still on guard and asked pointedly, "So, this was a trap?"
Hench replied, "Not at all. According to your website, you help people, and, Miss Possible, I need help. Please remember this fight happened because YOU broke through a locked door without permission. Those men were just doing their jobs. Please follow me." Kim and Ron followed Hench to his office. It was very much like the stereotypical high level executive with large windows and plenty of space. One piece of gold on a display stand on his desk caught the team's attention.
As they got closer, Hench gestured to it. "This is why I asked you here."
"You're showing us a ring?" Ron asked.
Kim corrected him. "It's no ordinary ring, Ron. It operates on a molecular level right?"
Hench smiled, impressed at Kim's perception. "You are a smart one. That's exactly right. This is my molecular muscle enhancer." He then pushed a button on his desk and a screen descended from the ceiling. The video that began playing was a demonstration. The test subject was a five-foot-nothing bean pole with no muscle definition to speak of. After putting on the ring and activating it, a transformation akin to the Incredible Hulk occurred, minus the green shade and slight anger management issues. He then began flexing in a way that would make him a serious contender for Mr. Universe.
Ron was amazed. "Hey! That rocks!" he shouted. A dangerous desire slowly began to creep into his heart as three recent phrases from Kim, Danny, and Barkin began whispering to him over and over and over in his mind.
"You're no good in a fight."
"Strength is important."
"You're small and weak."
Hench was right behind him and replied, "That's what I said when those crazy kids down in research and development came up with it."
Kim seemed less impressed. "Instant muscles," she said.
Then Hench replied with the reason he called in the first place. "Exactly. Does it get any better? I don't think so. Then that jerk Drakken had to send in Shego."
"Your message mentioned Drakken. I take it this is why." Kim said.
Hench moved over to his couch with his shoulders slumped over. "Yes. Shego stole a whole batch, except for this one," he lamented while holding the last ring.
Kim hadn't forgotten the names she read on his documents in the reception room and asked pointedly, "And we should care about this, why?"
"It shouldn't be that hard to figure out for someone as smart as you," Hench replied. "When has Drakken ever stolen something with the intent to do anything good? You know leaving that in his hands is a bad idea."
"Is it better in Senior's or Dementor's hands?" Kim asked.
"Only if they pay for it," Hench replied matter-of-factly. "I provide a service to the community."
"The evil community," Kim quipped. She was right to be concerned. Hench did in fact provide services to villains to make bigger, stronger, and smarter henchmen. It was a fine line he trod to keep out of prison, but one he seems quite capable of doing without much effort.
"Not just them," Hench retorted, seemingly not bothered by Kim's not so veiled accusation. "How many governments do you think are interested in this? You don't create a business empire the size of mine without friendly relationships with various government power brokers. I AM a legitimate businessman afterall."
Ron added, "Sure, this guy runs a shady business, but, I mean, come on, that technology in Drakken's hands?"
Kim didn't like this, but Ron was right. Letting Drakken run loose with this tech was too dangerous. "Good point. Fine, we're on it."
"Great!" Hench exclaimed. "I'll have you flown back to your school." He took a blank card out and wrote a phone number on it. "When you have succeeded in getting the rings back, call this number and leave a message with your location and a charity of your choice. I'll send someone to collect them. He'll have a message from me on a business card. Once we have the rings, that charity will receive a very large anonymous donation. Shego was able to get away with 11 rings. I will also remind you of the NDAs you signed when you got here. You are not permitted to mention my name or my company's name to anyone nor anything you have seen here." Hench smiled before continuing. "I will sweeten the deal though and allow Mr. Stoppable to borrow this ring for the duration. I'm sure it will come in handy."
Good businessmen are able to read people, and Hench was no exception. Ron was basically an open book to him. He had seen how Ron couldn't take his eyes off the ring, so he was certain he would accept.
"You're no good in a fight."
"Strength is important."
"You're small and weak."
"Sold," Ron said as he grabbed the ring with a huge smile. Kim was still unsure about this.
Hench's aircraft got Kim and Ron back to school by lunch time so they were able to change back and meet with everyone else for lunch. "How'd it go?" Danny asked.
"We aren't allowed to tell you much," Kim replied frustrated, "but the short version is Drakken stole something and we have to get it back."
"Aren't allowed?" Danny asked.
Kim shook her head. "We had to sign non-disclosure agreements. I'm not happy about it, but Drakken was definitely the bigger concern."
"Fair enough," Danny said. "I'm the last person to have an issue with secrets. I trust that if there is anything you think we NEED to know, you will tell us."
Kim sighed and smiled. "How did I get such an understanding boyfriend?" she asked rhetorically.
Danny chuckled and answered,"You asked." He leaned in to give her a kiss then turned to Star and continued, "You both did," as he kissed her too.
Ron hadn't yet joined the group. He was in the boy's bathroom eyeing his new accessory expectantly almost like a certain fictitious creature eyed his "precious" gold ring. The whispers that had been in his mind since he laid eyes on the ring were louder.
"You're no good in a fight."
"Strength is important."
"You're small and weak."
Ron stared at himself in the mirror as he readied himself for what came next. "Time to get strong," he said as he put the ring on and activated it. The same "hulk-ification" occurred to Ron that happened to the test subject. Ron looked himself over with great satisfaction. "Boo-ya," he said quietly. "I can't wait to see everyone's face when they see me now," he said with a huge grin. Given his vulnerable condition, the strength now flowing through his body was absolutely intoxicating…and addicting. He had completely forgotten that he only had the ring until the mission was complete. In fact, he forgot just about everything else except that now he was now the biggest, strongest MAN he knew.
As he left the bathroom on his way to the cafeteria, one of the people he wanted to be seen by was heading in the opposite direction. "Hey Mr. B.," Ron said as he passed Barkin in the hall.
"Stoppable. You look different. Taller. And stronger. I'm not sure how you did it. Most people don't have growth spurts that extreme or gym gains that pronounced in such a short period. If you put in the work to get that body, congratulations are in order," Barkin said. He hadn't forgotten what Ron looked like earlier in the morning.
Ron swelled with pride. "Thanks Mr. B. I…"
"However," Barkin interrupted, "That is ONLY if you put in the work. Alexis Carrel said 'Man may not remake himself without suffering as he is both the marble and the sculptor.' If you did NOT put in the work, you cheated and are no different than someone who uses steroids."
Ron's face fell. The Barkin rain cloud struck again. "So Stoppable, did you put in the work?" Barkin asked as his gaze pierced through to Ron's soul.
"I…uh…uh," Ron stammered.
"I believe I have my answer," Barkin said disappointedly. "Stoppable," he continued as he walked away.
For a third time in fewer days, Barkin smashed whatever self-confidence Ron had. This time, Ron's reaction wasn't despair. It was determination with a healthy dose of ambition. This strength is mine. It doesn't matter how. I will be a better man because of it. I AM a better man because of it. I'll prove it to him. I'll prove it to everyone, he thought.
As Ron entered the lunch room, all conversation stopped and every eye turned toward him. Ron swaggered over to his usual seat and sat down. No one had yet spoken. "Holy Moley," Sam whispered.
"So what do you think of the new me?" Ron asked the group.
Sam answered with a cocked eyebrow, "I guess that depends on the 'how.'"
Kim answered for him. "Molecular muscle enhancer."
"That can't be safe," Danny added worriedly. "Do you feel ok?" he asked Ron.
"Never better dude. I believe you said something about 'strength is important.' Well now I got a lot of it. This goes a long way to being a better man."
"Muscles don't make you a man, Ron." Kim retorted.
"She's right dude. There's WAY more to it than that," Tucker added.
"Ron, I said 'strength is important.' I didn't say it was the most important. In fact, I said courage was most important," Danny asked.
"But strength is still important," Ron replied confidently. "You are the strongest person I know, but I bet I might be stronger now. How about we have an arm wrestling contest to find out?"
"Someone's letting the power go to their head," Valerie murmured. Tucker nodded in agreement.
Danny cocked his eyebrow concerned. As he looked closer at Ron, he saw something in his eyes. Something that wasn't there before. Something that scared him, but not for himself. He had seen a similar glint before…in Plasmius. This was obviously much less intense, but the desire and ambition was there. Flickers, sparks to Vlad's raging bonfire, but still there. Where Plasmius wanted power for his own gain, Ron wanted it to try and regain something important he felt he lost, and it was clouding his judgement. His friend was in danger of losing himself in pursuit of "manhood."
"It'll have to wait till after school. There are too many people watching right now," he said as he looked around. "We'll go to my place." Danny also needed time to figure out the best way to help Ron come back to his senses. If possible, without having to hurt his friend. It's probably going to take more than just an arm wrestling contest, Danny thought.
After school, the crew all met at Danny's house. The Fenton's and Technus hadn't seen much of Ron, but they could definitely tell something was weird about him. Everyone went down to the lab for the challenge. Danny set up a table in the middle of the room and put chairs on either side. Danny sat down on one side and Ron took his seat on the other. He was grinning fiercely. Kim was concerned for both of them. Her best friend seemed to not be in his right mind, and she was worried her boyfriend would get hurt. Sam volunteered to be the referee for the match.
"Why aren't you doing this as Phantom?" Ron asked with a hint of anger. He felt he was not being taken seriously.
"I will, depending on the outcome of this one," Danny said.
"Fine with me," Ron replied confidently.
While they were preparing for the match, Kim had been quietly filling the Fentons in on what was going on.
"I'm worried about Ron," Kim whispered. "He needs to realize the power of the ring doesn't make him a man, but I don't know how to do it. Even worse, Danny told me he saw something in Ron's eyes that scared him. We need to snap Ron out of whatever is going on inside his head soon."
Jack and Maddie looked at each other. They knew the fastest way to break overconfidence in strength was with greater opposed strength, but that meant someone would have to fight Ron. Their son wouldn't have the stomach for that so it would have to be Maddie or Jack. Danny would hate that, but there weren't many other options. In fact, they couldn't think of any. "I have an idea," Jack whispered. "How good are Ron's fighting skills?"
Kim put on a difficult expression and replied, "Almost non-existent." Her shoulders drooped a little, having to say that out loud.
"This might work then," Jack said. "Danny is going to hate it, but if I know our boy, he already knows what has to come next, even if he doesn't want to admit it. I'll give him one more chance to talk Ron out of this though."
Allright, take your positions," Sam said. "Danny, are you ready?" Danny nodded. "Ron, are you ready?" He nodded. "Three, two, one, go." Ron's arm smashed Danny's into the table in under a second. Everyone but Danny was shocked. He seemed to have almost anticipated it.
"Ok. You're stronger than me as a human," he said as he transformed into Phantom.
"And I'm ready for round two," Ron replied, looking forward to the rematch. Both retook their positions.
Sam resumed her referee duty. "Danny, are you ready?" Danny nodded. "Ron, are you ready?" He nodded. "Three, two, one, go." This time, the arms didn't move. Both were clearly exerting themselves, but Ron seemed to be more so. Five seconds passed. 10 seconds. 20. Ever so slowly, Ron began to lose ground. At 30 seconds, Ron was half way to losing. 40 seconds in, and it was over as his strength finally gave out.
Danny gave Ron a sportsman's handshake for a good match. "Ron," Danny said, "The ring has made you strong, but I still think it is dangerous. Plus, you don't need it to be a man. I think I speak for everyone when I say we prefer the other Ron." Danny was hoping to talk Ron off the ledge he was standing on.
"You're no good in a fight."
"Strength is important."
"You're small and weak."
"Not a chance dude," Ron replied. "I need this."
From the edge of the room came a declaration, "Then you need to prove you can use it." All eyes turned to the person who said it.
"Dad?" Danny asked.
"Son, if he wants to keep that power, he needs to show he can use it, and there's only one way to do that. He needs to have a sparring match with me. Given his strength, the ghost zone would be the best place. No prying eyes, and no risk of any property damage. Give me five minutes and I'll have some Fenton Pods installed in the boxing helmets and be back," Jack said.
Ron wasn't thrilled about going into the ghost zone. It was "spooky" afterall. "Are you sure we have to do this in the ghost zone?" he asked with nervousness clear in his voice.
Danny replied, "Dad has a point. It's possible you two are going to cause some property damage so we may as well do it there. I'm not thrilled about this either."
Doot-doot-do-do "Hey Wade. Guess who tried out the molecular muscle enhancer?"
"Ron," he replied matter-of-factly.
Kim was surprised. "How did you know?"
Wade replied with the same tone, "It gives off a weird energy signature the Kimmunicator can track."
A thought formed in Kim's head. "Can we use that to track Drakken?"
"Already working on it," Wade said. "It will take some time, but I should have something ready by tomorrow morning. I'll call you when I find him."
"Spankin'. Thanks, Wade," she replied.
About that time, Jack came back down with the protective gear and a bag of popcorn in hand. "Here ya' go Ron," he said as he handed him the equipment. He then announced to the group, "Everyone, grab some Fenton Pods and get into the Specter Speeder."
After piling in, the Specter Speeder moved through the ghost portal and they began looking for a venue. It didn't take long as they set down on a large empty floating island.
This time, Kim would be the referee. She knew what Jack was planning so it made the most sense. "Alright guys, let's keep it clean," she said. "The match ends when one of you can't fight, surrenders, or I say the fight is over. Understood?" Both of them nodded.
"Ron," Jack warned. "I may be a boxer by training, but this isn't a boxing match, and neither will the fight you get in in the real world. Keep that in mind. My wife has graciously taught me to be more than just a boxer."
Ron may have superhuman strength, but Jack was still a mountain of muscle in his own right earned by years of practice and good genes. He could be quite intimidating when he wanted to be, and right now, he wanted to be.
Mr. Fenton, you ready?" Jack nodded and assumed a fighting stance. "Ron, are you ready?" Ron nodded. The audience waited with baited breath except for Maddie who was munching on popcorn with a "Go Jack Go" banner. Where she managed to get that from was anyone's guess. Danny wasn't thrilled with what was about to happen, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't think of a better way to get Ron back to normal. His parents seemed to have figured that out too which is why his dad pushed the match.
Kim stepped back and raised her arm. "Begin!" she shouted as she dropped her arm.
Jack was first to move. He was still quite fast despite his size. Jack threw a feint to Ron's chest which he reflexively tried to block. Jack used this to slide around to his side and throw a kick to the back of Ron's knee which buckled immediately. Jack didn't let up and threw a punch at the back of Ron's head which was now about level with his abdomen. If Jack was actually aiming for his head, his fist would have gone straight through Ron's skull. Instead, his fist was beside Ron's head with Jack's knuckles even with the end of Ron's nose
Kim shouted, "Match!"
Ron was shocked how quickly he lost, but it wasn't over. Jack said, "One more round, but this time Ron, I'll let you make the first move." Ron looked at Jack with determination as he stood up and resumed his fighting stance.
Kim took her position as referee again. "Ready Ron?" He nodded. "Ready Mr. Fenton?" He nodded. "Begin!"
Jack waited for Ron to make his move. Unfortunately for Ron, he was the tortoise to Jack's hare. Even with enhanced strength and speed, his brain wasn't trained to think fast enough to make good use of it. He threw punches and kicks but hit nothing but air. Some Jack deflected, others he just dodged. Even someone who knew nothing about fighting could tell Jack was trained, while Ron was not. His sloppy movements were easy to read. Soon enough, Jack stopped just dodging and started counter attacking. He would deflect, strike, and then pull back to do it again. Ron took hit after hit this way. Each time, he got more frustrated. After about half a dozen hits, Jack felt it had gone on long enough, and decided it was time to end the fight.
Ron came in with a wild haymaker, but Jack easily slipped underneath the punch and countered with a straight jab to Ron's jaw. Ron was stunned, but instead of backing off, Jack pressed the attack with an uppercut to the chin. This knocked Ron even further off balance. Jack used this to slip a leg around behind him and slam him into the ground with a judo osoto gari. Ron landed with a crash and a whoosh as the ground beneath him crumbled and the air was forced out of his lungs.
"Match!" Kim shouted.
"You're no good in a fight." The Ron could use some assistance.
"Strength is important." But not the most important. Courage is.
"You're small and weak." So what. I get by.
The sinister whispers finally started getting drowned out, and his mind began to clear. Any confidence in his new strength and himself was as shattered as the ground he was lying on. Danny walked up to him and extended his hand to Ron. He took it and Danny pulled him to his feet.
"Do you understand now, Ron? Strength alone is not enough. You need to know how to use it. We can help you if you want to get better at fighting. I know you think you need that ring, but you don't. What makes you a man comes from in here," Jack said as he tapped Ron's chest, or more specifically, his heart.
"With or without the ring, you are still the bravest man I know, Ron." Danny added. Ron nodded meekly.
Danny continued, "You mind leaving that ring here for the time being. I'd like Technus to take a look at it to make sure there aren't any negative side effects from prolonged exposure. Plus, I think your parents might freak if you walk through the door like that." The defeated Ron just nodded his head again and deactivated the ring. As his body returned to normal he removed the ring and handed it to Danny.
Kim breathed a sigh of relief. Her best friend seemed to finally have some sense beaten into him. Back at the audience, pretty much everyone let out the breath they were holding except for Maddie who was applauding her husband's flawless victory, and Technus who was eyeing the ring with great interest.
Ron started to walk to the Specter Speeder as everyone was loading back up. Now that Ron was back to normal, he needed something positive to focus on and Danny had something prepared. "Ron," Danny said as he put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "I get you are feeling down right now. Remember, I said that courage was more important than strength and you had more than all of us. There is something I want you to do tonight."
"What is it?" he asked.
"I want you to think of all the missions you have gone on. How many times did you save Kim? How many times did you take care of something so Kim could focus on the bad guy? Would Kim be alive today without you? Focus on that. Only that. You are a brave man, and no piece of paper or magic ring changes that," Danny said. He hoped this pep talk would be enough to get him refocused on his qualities.
"Thanks dude," Ron said. "I will." Ron was still deflated, but he seemed slightly less so than he was a minute ago.
Sam had been watching from the speeder and was grateful that Danny and Jack had been able to pull Ron back from someplace dangerous. Thank you, both of you, she thought.
Back at Drakken's lair, Shego had returned with the loot to Drakken's delight. After pulling in some extra henchmen, all eleven rings were successfully deployed. Drakken was ecstatic with the wall of muscle before him. Even better was that all eleven were wearing matching RED uniforms. "Molecular muscle enhancement. I love it! Ha-ha-ha! Now you are manly men. We will steal the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer which was ours to steal in the first place!" he gloated before turning his attention to his right-hand woman. "Shego, have you located Professor Dementor's latest lair?"
She responded from the computer terminal, "Yeah, but it looks like nobody's home."
Drakken seemed to have a Shakespearean meltdown. "Argh, revenge was to be mine, but now Professor Dementor has vanished without a trace. Oh, cruel fate!" After quickly recovering, he said, "Maybe I should call him. I've got him on speed dial," as he pulled out his phone.
After the phone picked up, he heard Dementor's voice on the other end. "Hello," it said.
Drakken didn't give him a chance to finish the sentence. "Where are you hiding, you cursed….?"
The voice interrupted him. "I can't take your call right now."
Drakken finally realized what was going on. "Uh, the machine," he groaned.
The voice continued, "I've taken my entire staff and my newly-acquired PAN-DIMENSIONAL VORTEX INDUCER! And ve're off to Las Vegas. Leave a message at ze tone."
Drakken smashed his phone into the ground in anger and declared petulantly, "Dah! He's so brazen." It seemed that Drakken and his goons were going to take a trip to Las Vegas.
The next morning, Ron was still bummed out, but was not in a completely hopeless state. Sam was still by his side. Danny and Kim met up with them before class as Wade had been able to get a read on active rings. "How are you doing, Ron?" Kim asked.
Ron sighed. "I've been better. Dad tried to give me advice about manhood yesterday. I did what Danny said to do, and I get it. I'm not like you or him. I'm a sidekick. I'm support, and I'm ok with that. It will still take time to get over the last couple days."
Kim moved in to hug him. "I'm glad to have you back, Ron."
"Thanks K.P.," Ron said.
"By the way, Wade has something for us. Come on," Kim said.
The group made their way to Kim's locker where Wade was waiting for them. "Hey guys," he said. "I was able to track the rings. I actually found several groups of them. I cross referenced those groups with whatever cameras were in the area and found Drakken. He seems to be making his way to Las Vegas where I found another set of rings. This group was Dr. Dementor's, and he is at the Las Vegas Las Vegas Resort. Between the two groups, I counted 17 ring signatures.
"Working together?" Kim asked.
"No idea," Wade replied. "It might be a good idea to assume they are just in case."
Kim recalled her fight at Hench Co. and said, "We should sneak in and see what he is up to first; see if maybe we get an opportunity to divide and conquer. Also, Danny, can you help on this one?"
"Of course. 17 guys with Ron's strength plus Shego is a tall order for just you two. It'd be a tall order for me. Also, I'll get the ring Technus is looking at. It might be a good idea for Ron or one of us to juice up again," Danny said. After he did, a stray thought went through his head. I wonder what Kim would look like wearing that ring? He unconsciously stared at Kim imagining her with a She-Hulk physique and mission clothes.
Both she and Sam seemed to catch the "one of us" Danny had said, the unconscious stare, and smile slowly starting to form and preempted it. "Don't even think about it," they said simultaneously.
This seemed to snap Danny out of his fantasy. "Er, sorry," he said sheepishly.
"You sure I should wear that ring again, you know, after yesterday?" Ron asked with a hint of depression.
"I do. We're going to be outnumbered anyway you cut it, and we will need the extra muscle. Untrained strength is still strength," Danny replied. "I also asked Technus about it this morning. He found nothing indicating potential negative side effects. At least, so far. Wearing it for a few more hours shouldn't be a problem. Just remember, the ring is just a tool. What kind of man you are comes from you."
"Wade, can you get us a ride to Las Vegas?" Kim asked.
"Already done. There's a jet at the airport waiting," Wade replied.
"You're the best, Wade," Kim said. Wade saluted with a smile and ended the call.
"I'll go get the ring and let my parents know what's going on. Meet you at the airport?" Danny asked.
"Yep," Kim replied.
"Be safe you three," Sam said as she saw them off. They all nodded in response.
Drakken and his juiced up crew arrived outside the resort Dementor was staying at and spent the time waiting for Shego to finish scouting by monologuing. "Las Vegas, the place where vengeance will be mine!" he declared.
Fortunately for the henchmen, Shego found what she was looking for quickly and was back before Drakken could bore his own men to death. "I spotted Professor Dementor and his boys."
"Poised to threaten the free world with the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer?" Drakken asked nefariously.
"Er, no, actually, they're chilling by the pool," Shego replied.
"Seriously?" Drakken asked. Shego just shook her head. He had to see this himself. "Wait here, I'll be right back," he said as he began sneaking around the resort to the pool. Sure enough, there was Dementor and his six henchmen relaxing in the pool. Dementor himself was on a floating pool chair enjoying a drink. "How does he find time to relax? How does he get to have it all?" he asked himself.
Without even thinking, he tried to force open the gate to the pool area with no luck. "Grrrrr! Ah, stupid gate," he grunted.
A hotel employee noticed this and told him, "Er, sir, the pool area is for hotel guests only. You need a room key."
Drakken was frustrated, but somehow thought that was the best way for a villain to gain access to his enemy. "Aaarrgh, fine! We'll check into the hotel, then we will steal the stolen Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer and then vengeance will finally be mine!"
Inside the hotel lobby, Drakken had rejoined his gang and were inside the lobby trying to get a room. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't going well. "Welcome to Las Vegas, Las Vegas, paly what can I do you for?" said the concierge who was dressed as a flashy 1950s wiseguy.
"Yes... Jilly from Jersey," said Drakken as he read the nameplate, "Hm. I need a room."
"Sorry, baby, but we are booked with the cuckoo conventions," said Jilly regretfully.
Drakken didn't really need a room. He just needed a key "Fine. Whatever. Just hand over a key so I can get into the pool," he demanded.
"Easy, Clyde. The swim is for registered cats only," said Jilly as he rebuffed Drakken again.
Drakken lost his temper and grabbed Jilly by the collar and shouted, "That's what I'm trying to do, you annoying little poser!
Jilly was unruffled by the rough treatment and said, "Er, get the hands off the suit, creep."
A flustered Drakken stammered for several seconds before deciding to try a different tactic.
Five minutes after Drakken and crew left the lobby for plan B, Kim and Ron, who had put the ring back on, walked in with an invisible ghost in tow. Jilly, who was still in character, looked at Kim with a smile on his face and said, "Welcome to Las Vegas, Las Vegas, chicky baby."
Kim was unimpressed and Danny was annoyed. She asked, "Yeah, hi. Have you seen this guy?" as she held up her Kimmunicator with a picture of Drakken on it.
"A-ring-a-ding-ding," Jilly said. "That blue cat was here about five minutes ago with a green chick and some muscle in red. They were trying to get to the pool."
"Thanks," Kim said and walked away before Jilly could say something that he would regret. Now that they knew Drakken was here and trying to get to the pool, that was their next stop. They made their way around the resort till they arrived at the same gate that had thwarted Drakken earlier. "There's Dementor, and a couple of his instant muscle men. Danny, can you get us in?"
"Sure," he replied as he grabbed both Kim and Ron by the waist and invisibly flew them over the wall and into the pool area. They stayed invisible and waited for Drakken to show himself. They didn't have to wait long. Soon, Drakken, Shego, and four of his goons poked their heads over the roof of the hotel.
They threw ropes over the side and began descending toward the pool. Their approach had not gone unnoticed by Kim…or Dementor. With a snap of his fingers, one of his men made a radio call and several others poked their heads out of upper floor windows holding knives. With a quick flick, all the ropes were cut and Drakken, Shego, and the henchmen plummeted to the pool. Dementor exited the pool and stood near the edge as Drakken resurfaced for air.
"Hm. Looking for... zis, hm?" Dementor said tauntingly as he waved the silver cylinder in front of Drakken.
Drakken's eyes went round and he shouted, "The Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer!"
"The Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer?" Kim whispered.
"What do the rings have to do with the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer?" Ron asked.
"I think we're about to find out," Danny said.
Drakken turned to his men still in the pool and shouted, "Use the power of the rings! Get that Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer!"
Kim, Ron, and Danny collectively said, "Ohhh."
Drakken had a problem though. He never bothered to ask if his men could swim, and unfortunately, they couldn't. All the extra muscle from the rings also meant their buoyancy was less than favorable. It took them an excessive amount of time to get out of the pool, and Dementor quietly slipped away in the meantime. After they were all able to climb out, Drakken noticed his quarry was missing and became infuriated at the missed opportunity. He shouted, "Meet up with the others and comb this place from penthouse to pavement! Find Dementor and the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer!"
Shego was first to volunteer for a part of the resort. "Sure. I'll take the buffet."
Unfortunately for her, Drakken had the same idea. "Nice try. I'll take the buffet," he replied as he grabbed her by the shoulder before she could walk off.
Las Vegas casinos and resorts are known for their opulence and size, and this one did not disappoint. It could take a very long time for Drakken to find the short black helmeted villain flanked by six grey suited gorilla men. Vegas was also known for its strange looking people.
The team decided to take a minute to gather what they knew and come up with a plan. Kim started, "Ok, we know Drakken and Dementor are not working together. Drakken brought all 11 rings so the six Dementor had are probably all of them. All this is over a device Drakken wants. Let's call Wade to see if he can find anything useful on it." She pulled out her Kimmunicator and the young genius appeared on the screen. "Wade, what have you got on a Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer?" she asked.
After a few moments of keystrokes, Wade replied, "Stolen from a research facility in the Rocky Mountains two days ago by Dementor."
Kim asked, irked, "Why am I just finding out about this now?"
Wade replied sheepishly, "Um, Local, federal and international law enforcement are on the case. They thought they didn't need you."
"Well, I guess they thought wrong." Kim said, frustrated. "Tell me about the device he stole."
Wade answered, "Typical doomsday device except for its size. This one creates a contained dimensional disruption covering about 100,000 square miles. Everything inside would be enveloped in 'chaos.'"
"That sounds bad," Danny interjected "What kind of chaos are we talking about?"
Wade answered gravely, "The 'laws of physics no longer apply' type." The group gave a collective gulp.
"We'll discuss why someone would make something like that later," Kim said "Wade, can you get more info on this device in case we need to shut it off?"
"Already on it. I'll start digging through this while you deal with Drakken and Dementor. Call me if you need help with the device."
"Thanks, Wade," Kim said as she ended the call. She then brought up the display showing the locations of all the active rings. Lucky for them they were all together in two groups and seemed to be on a path to convergence. "Let's start with the bigger group," she said.
The team moved to a position in between both groups and prepared to drop in on Drakken. It didn't take long for Dementor's group to come strolling along completely nonchalantly. "There's Professor Dementor," Kim said. They ascended the escalator as Drakken's group came into view.
"Danny, Ron and I will keep Drakken's henchmen distracted while you stay invisible and pull the rings off them one at a time."
Danny replied, "I think Ron will be enough to keep them busy. Kim, you should make a play for the vortex inducer."
Kim thought for a moment and nodded. "Ready?" Kim asked. She got nods from her teammates.
They dropped down in front of Drakken much to the surprise of the villain. "It's Kim Possible! Get her!" Drakken shouted. Kim charged in, but nimbly flipped over Drakken's men before running off to jump to the second floor where Dementor was. Ron just charged and tackled the group. He didn't get them all, but got enough for the rest of them to focus on him. Drakken and Shego forgot about the henchmen and began chasing Kim.
Danny was able to get the first henchman in an arm lock which allowed him to pull off his glove and then the ring. The unfortunate lackey couldn't understand how or why his arm was bending in a direction he didn't want. He was even more perplexed when his glove came off and the exposed ring powered down and came off his finger. As his body returned to normal, Danny gave him a thump on the head to knock him out. He turned his attention to the next henchmen to repeat the process when he saw Ron fly through the air after getting tossed by one of the henchmen. "Ron!" he shouted as Ron crashed into one of the convention rooms. Danny had to become visible to get the hordes' attention and prevent them from rushing into whoever was occupying that room. He was going to have to get creative to handle them. The good news was Drakken was cheap, and that included the training and quality of his henchmen.
In the convention room, Ron had finally stopped tumbling and landed upside down against the wall. He was met with a familiar face. "Rabbi Katz?" he queried.
The bearded figure looked at the inverted youth and asked, "Ronald? Ronald Stoppable?"
As the rabbi helped him to his feet, Ron replied, "Yeah. What are you doing here?"
He gestured to the rest of the room and answered, "It's a rabbinical conference." He then asked, "Ronald, have you been working out or something?" as he noticed Ron's new physique.
Ron replied meekly, "Uh…kinda." He then remembered how this whole situation began and asked, "By the way, did you know you forgot to sign my Bar Mitzvah certificate?"
This surprised Rabbi Katz. "Really? Certainly I'll sign it as soon as get back to Middleton," he said"
Ron replied, "Thanks, but that's not necessary anymore."
The holy man said, "I would have to agree. The Bar Mitzvah ceremony itself is what counts, Ronald."
Ron gave a self deprecating chuckle before saying, "Yeah. That's what everyone else said too. It just took time for that to finally sink in"
Rabbi Katz smiled, patted Ron's shoulder, and said, "I'm glad you understand, Ronald."
"RON!" Danny shouted. "If you're done chatting, I could use your help!" Danny was holding his own and had knocked out two other henchmen, but was irritated how long this was taking. They may not have been well trained, but there were still a lot of them, and he had to be careful to hold back enough.
Ron said to the rabbi as he jumped back in the fight, "Better lay low, Rabbi K. I gotta take care of business, Ron style." Once he was back, he was able to take some of the attention off Danny which gave him room to knock out the rest of the crew in quick succession. Once they were all down, the rings were easy enough to retrieve. They made sure they had all 11 in their pouch before they went to find Kim.
Meanwhile, Kim had made it to the second floor with Drakken in hot pursuit. She saw Dementor before he saw her and had an idea. Instead of potentially getting into a three-way fight with six juiced henchmen and Shego, she would just stay out of sight and let them fight each other.
Dementor was still oblivious to threats heading his way. He mused with his crew, "Vhat's next, boys? Should ve hit ze buffet or take in a show?"
The elevator dinged and Drakken and Shego burst forth. It wasn't Kim Possible, but it was someone he was still looking for. "Dr. Dementor! Hand over the Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer." Drakken shouted
Dementor shouted back, "NEVER!"
Drakken grinned evilly and said, "Have it your way. My henchmen aren't afraid to play rough." He gestured behind himself, but forgot he left all his lackeys to deal with Kim Possible. The only ones there were himself and Shego.
Dementor chuckled and replied, "Drakken, you are always entertaining." He pointed to Drakken and ordered his henchmen. "Get him!"
As the grey clad muscle surrounded the blue and green villains, Shego asked, "It's six against two. How many can you take?"
Drakken did some counting on his fingers before cowering behind Shego, "Put me down for... none."
Shego rolled her eyes and remarked, "Oh, good."
Kim was relieved to see she had made the right call as she watched Shego toss one henchman after another into the open elevator. Once the sixth was in, the elevator doors closed with a *ding.* Just like when Danny and Ron squared off, all that strength meant little against an experienced fighter.
As Shego dusted her hands in satisfaction, she turned her attention to her boss and was immediately disappointed. Both him and Dementor were "fighting" over the device. In reality, Drakken was just reaching for the device while Dementor was stiff-arming him while holding his prize in the fully extended other arm.
"Give it to me!" Drakken shouted.
"No! It's mine!" Dementor replied. The whole scene was reminiscent of two children fighting over a toy. Eventually, Dementor was pushed around until tripped over a trashcan and lost grip on the Vortex Inducer. It began rolling to the ledge to the horror of both of them. Both dove for it, but were unable to grab it before it went over the edge.
Kim was waiting for this, and swung in to grab the silver cylinder. After landing, she couldn't help but turn to taunt the two villains. "I'd say finders keepers applies here," she said.
Shego had snuck up on Kim and responded, "Sounds fair to me." as she grabbed the device to Drakken's delight.
Kim wasn't happy, and immediately pivoted into a fight. She and Shego began their usual dance but with the difference that Shego was only fighting with one hand as it was holding the Vortex Inducer. Eventually Kim was able to kick it from her grasp towards Drakken who picked it up with glee. "Thank you, Kimberley," he gloated before he noticed an increasingly high pitched whine. "What's that beeping?" he asked.
Dementor was terrified and answered, "It's been activated."
In usual Drakken ignorance, he asked, "Is that a bad thing?" Kim and Shego had paused their fight as something of MUCH greater importance had taken their attention. Drakken's question caused both to facepalm simultaneously.
Dementor asked incredulously, "Don't you have any idea vhat ze Pan-dimensional Vortex Inducer does?"
Drakken replied, "Something very dangerous, I'm sure, or else it wouldn't be top secret."
Dementor elaborated with an even more dire tone. "Ze vortex it creates vill be a contained disruption in ze very fabric of reality!!
"Space? Time? Energy?" Drakken asked nervously.
Dementor finished his explanation. "All vill be twisted in a vortex of pure CHAOS!"
Drakken began to sweat until he had a "bright" idea and threw the device in an air vent before he started to walk away. "Let's get out of here!" he said. Kim couldn't believe how ridiculous this was.
Dementor quickly burst Drakken's bubble. "Did I mention zhat vortex vill be ze size of ze state of NEVADA?"
"Oh, we're in Nevada! How ironic," Drakken said in an increasingly soft tone as he realized how doomed he was.
Kim and Shego looked at each other before both dove for the open vent. The vent would have been big enough for one of them to get through, but not both. Each was trying to convince and/or shove the other out of the way so they could get the vortex inducer to no avail. Then help arrived. Both ladies suddenly felt themselves being pulled out of the vent by a foot and then they were upside down and being held by Ron.
"Ron! The device is active and in the shaft!" Kim shouted as she pointed at the vent. "Phantom!" She shouted again.
"On it," said a voice somehow coming from nowhere. Danny flew into the vent and grabbed the device and flew back out becoming visible to all.
"Gah! Weird Super Power Flying Boy!" Drakken shouted in surprise "Why are you here?!"
Danny answered, "Apparently saving everyone from your foolishness." He turned to Kim and asked, "Kim, get Wade and…"
"Already up," he replied from Kim's Kimmunicator. She was still being held by Ron upside down. "Phantom, according to the creator, you need to deactivate it through 'aggressive kinetic adjustment'," Wade explained.
"What?!" Danny asked.
"Sorry. Hit it against something hard," Wade explained.
Danny looked at the device briefly and back to Kim and said, "Kim, you should do this. It's probably calibrated to human strength, and I might overdo it and make things worse."
"Good call," Kim said "Ron, can you put me down please?"
Oh, sure K.P.," Ron said as he simply released Kim. She landed ungracefully in a thump. "Oops. Sorry."
Shego snickered and murmured, "So, he is as dumb as he looks."
"Thanks Ron," she said sarcastically. Danny quickly handed her the device, and she took it and smacked it against the floor. The beeping stopped and the bands on it glowed green briefly. "Wade?" she asked.
"That did it. The device has shut down." Wade said. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Wade, if you haven't already, can you call for a pickup for the villain, this thing and a ride home? Please and thank you," Kim asked.
"Two steps ahead, Kim," replied Wade. "Police are 30 seconds out, and your ride home will be at the airport in 45 minutes."
"Spankin'. Thanks again, Wade," Kim said before ending the call.
"I suggest you three surrender quietly. Otherwise we will have to use 'aggressive kinetic adjustment' on you too." Danny said as he cracked his knuckles.
Shego just folded her arms and pouted, still upside down. Dementor was relieved to not be in a chaotic vortex but furious he lost. Drakken thought about resisting, but Danny's glare and glowing fists convinced him otherwise. Them and their henchmen were all collected without incident and the teens returned home 11 rings heavier than they left and with the state of Nevada intact.
After they made it back to Amity Park, Danny gave Kim a hug and kiss before heading home. Technus is not going to be happy he's not getting the ring back, Danny thought. Ron was a little bummed his muscled up alter ego was gone forever, but he knew everyone was right that it was for the best. Kim was glad this mission was over and soon she wouldn't have to deal with Hench for much longer.
She made the call to the number he gave her and within two hours a man in a nondescript suit showed up at her house carrying a Hench Co. business card with Jack Hench's own handwriting thanking her for her hard work. She gave him the rings and the next day she saw the charity she named had received a multimillion dollar donation from an anonymous source. He's a slimeball, but at least he keeps his word, Kim thought.
The next week, Rabbi Katz returned to Middleton and paid a visit to the Stoppable household. His business was simple. "There you go, Ronald. Now it's official," he said as he signed Ron's Bar Mitzvah certificate.
Ron's mom said, "My little boy is a man. Again."
"Congratulations," said Ron's dad.
Ron was overjoyed. Everyone said the ceremony mattered, not the paper. Everyone was right, but so was Ron. This mattered too. To him, this was also part of the ceremony. It was physical, tangible proof of his ascension to manhood. "Boo-yah," he said.