A/N: Welcome to chapter 4. There are significantly more notes before this one. This chapter will also be a little different as I will ask you to do something before you read it. In the source episode, the base commander, General Sims, was voiced by the late, great R. Lee Ermey. His most notable role was as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 movie Full Metal Jacket. If you have not seen any part of his performance in that movie, please stop reading, and use the search engine of your choice to see whatever parts you can. The story will not be as enjoyable if you can't hear his voice in Gen. Sims lines.
Welcome back. I trust your research was enlightening. I also added another semi obscure joke from an old sci-fi TV series. Let's see if you can figure out which one. This chapter deviated from the source material more than I would have preferred, but that was partially due to this being a half length episode and partially from the general reality-bending silliness. It couldn't really be helped. That said, there is a level of ridiculousness that can't be overcome. Just enjoy the story. At the end of the day, it won't really matter. *dons sunglasses*
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 based on KP 1:10 - Royal Pain. The release rate will be slowed down as the current rate is unsustainable. I just wanted to get a good chunk out to get established before slowing down. However, I WILL be continuing. Please just be patient.
"BIG Trouble in Little Area 51" OR "Ohhhhhh no! There goes To-k-yo. Go go Ruf-zilla!"
Time: Between Chapter 15 and 16
Source: KP 2-12 Rufus versus Commodore Puddles
Retconning: Drakken grabbed a vial of ectoplasm from Fright Night Castle while no one was looking. Area 51 is a full MiB base. Minor adjustment to timeline for continuity. Some of the ridiculousness of the battle has been removed and/or altered for improved storytelling inline with HoaH established tone.
"ROAR!" *smash* "ROAR!" *crash* The giant naked mole rat rampaged through Midddleton. The damage, horrendous. The chaos, fantastic. Then, for some reason, the monster grabbed a taco larger than his body or any building around and chowed down on it.
"Cut! Rufus, you can't keep breaking character like that," Ron said.
Rufus dropped his shoulders and said, "Sorry."
Ron sighed and said, "Gonna have to recast you, buddy. You just don't have that monster instinct."
Danny chucked. "Ron, unless you have some other wildly intelligent animal in mind, you can't exactly recast him."
"Yeah, don't you think you're being a bit severe?" Tucker asked.
"Look Tucker, the Silver County Film Festival opens next Saturday. I'm trying to redefine the monster movie genre, and we're way behind schedule here!" Ron replied.
Danny and Tucker started to reset the model while this conversation was going on. The guys were helping Ron with his amateur monster movie in Dannys' parent's lab. This was the best place to do so as it had plenty of material to work with both for model building and special effects. The girls decided to go on a shopping trip to the mall while they were working. Tucker and Danny's design and building skills were proving invaluable to making good looking sets and Ron was grateful to their help.
"Maybe keep the snacks out of arm's reach for the next take," Tucker suggested with a smirk.
After ensuring everything edible was moved to the opposite side of the lab, director Ron said, "Ok, places, take two, action!"
"ROAR!" *smash* "ROAR!" *crash* The giant naked mole rat rampaged through Midddleton…again.
Back at the mall, the girls were doing typical girl stuff. Trying on clothes and talking about boys. Well, three of them were talking about the same boy. The present topic was Clover trying to get Kim away from her standard Club Banana wardrobe to something a bit more stylish. The mall's limited fare and Kim's own fashion sense, or lack thereof, made this more of a challenge but not impossible. Everyone else knew better than to get in the way of Clover and fashion. Danny was going to regret not being there to see the fashion show, but he was busy being a good friend.
Doot-doot-do-do "Hey Wade. What's the sitch?" Kim asked as she opened up her Kimmunicator.
Wade replied, "Kim, I've got a lead on Drakken. He ordered a shrink ray online, and had it delivered to an address in the Northern Mojave Desert not far from Las Vegas."
"Sounds like we have work to do," She said. "I'll let Ron know. Can you set up a ride there?"
"Can do," Wade said. "I'll let you know when it's set."
"Thanks Wade," Kim replied. She then turned her attention to the others with her and said, "Sorry girls, duty call."
"Good luck and be safe" was the collective response.
Back at Fenton Works, Rufus had, more or less, found his inner Godzilla, and Ron had successfully completed several scenes. The movie was coming along nicely and they were well over half done. They were taking a break when Kim called.
"Hey Ron, we have a mission," she said.
"Hit me," Ron replied.
"Drakken has a shrink ray and is in the Mojave Desert Northeast of Las Vegas. Grab your gear. We're going to go take him down," Kim said.
Ron replied, "You know, I was wondering when he'd get around a shrink ray."
"Do they keep that guy locked in a wet paper bag or something? Maybe we should rename him to Houdini," Danny asked with a hint of annoyance.
"You're not that far off," Kim lamented. "Anyway, I'll get my gear and meet you at the airport."
"Sure thing, K.P.," Ron replied.
"Since the movie making is on hold, want to meet up with girls at the mall?" Tucker asked Danny.
"Sounds like a plan. I'll let them know we're coming, and then fly us there," Danny replied as he pulled out his phone.
Kim and Ron were on their way to the desert by the time Tucker and Danny met up with everyone at the mall. Sammy and Star were gracious enough to allow Danny to offer his opinions to the last few outfits they had picked out, much to his delight. After that, it was just walking around the mall, window shopping, and enjoying each other's company. There wasn't much else to do that Saturday afternoon.
A few hours later, Kim and Ron arrived near the abandoned airport facility Drakken was supposedly using courtesy of some agent's they had helped on a previous mission. It would take a little time to search all the buildings so she was using a new piece of equipment. She tapped her belt buckle and skating protective gear deployed around her while skate wheels and rocket motors deployed from her shoes. She also had a tethered skateboard attached to her pack that Ron would ride on.
"You walking or riding?" Kim asked Ron with a smirk while she handed him a helmet. Once he was on, the duo sped off to find the Drakken.
Shego was putting the finishing touches on a panel she was working on and asked the obvious question, "So what exactly are we doing out here in the middle of nowhere with a 'shrink ray,' Dr. D.?"
"Simple, Shego! Once I've shrunk to microscopic size, I will be able to infiltrate the most secretive military installation in the world, Area 51," Drakken replied with an evil grin.
"And what's in Area 51 that's so special?" Shego asked with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.
Drakken couldn't believe she would even ask such an obvious question and answered, "You know flying saucers, alien technology, yada, yada." He turned his attention back to the device to ensure it was assembled properly. "Let's see. Connect the drop bar under the shrink velociter…"
Drakken's dog decided he needed to go outside and tried to get his attention. "Commodore Puddles, not now. Can't you see daddy's trying to put the finishing touches on his shrink ray," Drakken said.
In an unusual display of empathy, Shego said, "He needs to go out."
Drakken retorted, "He was just out ten minutes ago!
"Now, what did we agree on?" Shego asked like a parent.
"If I wanted a dog I had to promise to take care of him," Drakken responded like a child. "Which I will... later!" The poodle whimpered in response.
Shego just rolled her eyes while giving the poodle a good scratch behind the ears. "Are you sure about this? You DID order this thing off the internet. How do you know this…'Jeebs' character didn't just rip you off?" Shego asked.
"Eh. He had an honest face," Drakken replied while adjusting a connection. Shego cocked her eyebrow incredulously. She had seen his picture on his website. His face could be described in a lot of ways, most of them unflattering, but "honest" wasn't one of them. She then saw Drakken pull out a small green glowing container and start pouring its contents into the machine. Anxiety crept into her as she looked at the goop, but she didn't quite understand why. Just something primal.
"What is that?" she asked, concerned.
"You remember when we got the Soul Shredder with Killigan on Halloween?" he asked.
Shego didn't like where this was going. "Yeah?" she answered.
"While you were doing your 'King Aurther' impression, I saw a pool of goop, and I took a sample. I thought it could be useful later. I have been studying it and found it contained some kind of power I thought I could extract. I am giving the shrink ray a boost," Drakken explained with an evil grin.
This had "disaster" written all over it. "Hey Dr. D., I'm gonna need to get paid in advance before you push the button on that thing and try to raid Area 51," Shego declared unamused.
"Then you better have him put it on your prison canteen account," said a familiar voice from a window.
Both villains snapped their heads to the voice. "Kim Possible?! What's say we dispense with the banter and skip right to the kung-fu fighting?" Drakken exclaimed. He turned to his henchwoman and shouted, "Shego!" The green clad villain ignited her fists and leapt in to fight with Kim.
At least she tried. Before they could fully engage each other another voice sounded. "Hold on a sec! One second, people!" Ron was setting up his camera to add this fight to his movie. The ladies just looked at him incredulously. After a couple seconds, his camera was properly set and he said, "Ok, action!" Shego was first to recover from the ridiculousness and lunged at Kim, but she was able to dodge. Their usual dance was captured by cameraman Ron.
Drakken was simply standing in front of the shrink ray with a confident smirk, but his failure to care for his dog was about to bite him. Electricity started to arc across the shrink ray, and the tell-tale sound of short circuiting was heard. Drakken whirled around in shock and shouted, "My shrink ray! Something's wrong!" His dog walked out from underneath the device seemingly relieved, and Drakken put two and two together. "Agh! Commodore Paddles, you didn't! Not there! Bad doggy! Bad!" he shouted again.
Meanwhile, Kim and Shego continued their even fight with Ron filming. Between kicks, flips, and punches, Kim was able to get hold of Shego and throw her off balance…and into Ron. As they both crashed to the ground, Rufus was also ejected from Ron's side and he, in turn, crashed into Commodore Puddles. This started another fight between the animals. Rufus was at a disadvantage in every way except intelligence, not that it was much help. All he could do was avoid the attacks.
Shego got back up and resumed her fight with Kim. Their back and forth continued until Shego was able to return the earlier favor and knocked Kim into the control panel of the shrink ray and the large "ON" button.
Back with the animal fight, Commodore Puddles had swatted at Rufus and knocked him away. Unfortunately for the dog, his position was on the pad the ray was aiming at when Kim hit the control panel. The ray fired but instead of shrinking, the dog grew, and grew, and grew. He didn't stop growing until he exceeded the size of the hanger he was in with catastrophic results.
"It's not supposed to do that, it's supposed to shrink stuff!" Drakken shouted as parts of the hanger ceiling crashed around them.
"Told you he had to go out," Shego quipped.
Drakken thought for a second before realizing this could still work in his favor. "New plan. Come, Shego!" he shouted as he climbed up the poodle's leg. Shego threw a few jabs at Kim to create space and allow her the opportunity to flip up, over, and onto the back of Commodore Puddles who continued to walk through what was left of the hanager's roof like it wasn't there.
Kim grimaced at how "big" their problem had just gotten. Ron seemed less phased but understood the gravity of the situation. "That would be the coolest shot ever if it weren't for the 2,000 ton poodle that has been unleashed into an unsuspecting world," he said with the camera still rolling. Neither of them seemed to notice the dog had begun to emit a slight green glow as it walked away.
It took longer than she planned to pick her way through the debris of the hanger and when she did, Drakken and his dog were nowhere to be seen. Her grapple gun would have made this simple, but with the weakened roof structure, it could have just as easily collapsed and buried both of them. "We've gotta find them," Kim said thinking out loud.
Ron was busy reviewing the film he captured and replied, "Otherwise my film is gonna have serious act-two issues."
Kim was annoyed and said, "Ron, focus." She then came to a revelation as she remembered what Shego had mentioned and said, "Wait! I know where they're headed."
Kim and Ron sped North to the base that "didn't exist" to find the nearest gate using her rocket skates. She was grateful Drakken somehow seemed unable to direct the dog straight there, and it gave her the opportunity to get ahead of the situation.
"Excuse me," she said to the Marine Guard, "I know this is going to sound weird, but you've got to let us in. There's this monster poodle headed this way…"
"Name?" the guard interrupted.
"Commodore Puddles," she replied.
"YOUR name," the guard asked again, slightly annoyed.
"Oh, Kim Possible," she answered.
"Please wait," the guard said as his partner stepped back to make the call. About a minute later, the other guard came back and whispered something in his ear. "It seems the General has heard of you and approved your entry. Please wait here for…" The guard never got to finish as the ground began to rumble. His partner was the first to see the inexplicable sight of a giant poodle coming over the horizon.
He shouted into his radio, "Security Alert! Code Red! Base under attack by a giant…poodle! South Gate!"
The alarm began sounding just as a HMMWV pulled up to the gate. "Get in!" the driver shouted to Kim and Ron. The vehicle sped off straight to the airfield where a Blackhawk helicopter was already spinning up. As Kim and Ron boarded, they were greeted by a Marine General in service dress and his aide already onboard. The helicopter took off and began moving back the way they came. Their saving grace was that the dog didn't seem to be in a hurry, and the perimeter of the base extended several miles from the base itself.
"Ms. Possible, Mr. Stoppable, I'm Brigadier General Sims, the base commander. What can you tell me about what we are dealing with?"
"Bad guy used a malfunctioning shrink ray to cause his dog to grow to its current size. It's a regular dog otherwise, and one he doesn't seem to have complete control over. His goal is whatever is in this base. If we can stop the dog and fix the shrink ray, we should be able to shrink it back down to normal size." Kim explained.
General Sims nodded and shouted to his aide, "Corporal, you catch all that?"
"Yes sir," he said as he was relaying what he heard through the base's battle net.
After a brief period of thinking, the general called over the radio, "Execute MOUS protocol, XL contingency." Kim and Ron were confused until the general turned to the heroes to explain. "We are prepared for almost every possibility and 'Mammals Of Unusual Size' is one of them. I am having two aircraft sling load food, and we are going to try to lure the beast away from the base to buy us more time." He then turned to Ron who was still recording everything and said with a grin, "Be sure to get my good side, son. You'll get a lot of excellent footage." He then said something into his radio that no one else seemed to hear while his eyes kept cutting over to Ron's camera.
About five minutes later, a pair of MV-22 Ospreys came into view. Each seemed to have some kind of dry animal feed in huge bags slung on lines below them. The first flew in front of Commodore Puddle's path and released its load. The bag fell to the ground and scattered its contents. The second remained back to act as the lure once the dog realized what it was carrying. The beast walked up to the pile of food and sniffed it quizzically. It then took a bite of the pile and began chewing. After a few seconds, he spit it out and swatted the rest away. It seemed he didn't like what was offered and growled at the other aircraft.
"Fools! You fell victim to one of the classic blunders! Commodore Puddles cannot be swayed by ordinary dry kibble!" Drakken shouted from his back before laughing maniacally.
"Abort MOUS! Abort MOUS! Execute BANSHEE!" General Sims shouted. The second Osprey pulled away and several tank-like vehicles rolled forward and aimed their weapons at Commodore Puddles.
"You aren't going to shoot it, are you?" Kim asked, concerned.
"Negative. Those are sonic cannons. They are going to use sound to drive back the beast," the general replied. "Besides, my men have already tried conventional weapons, and it didn't do squat," he added, irritated.
"In position, sir." The aide interjected.
"Fire!" he ordered.
The vehicles activated their weapons and powerful pulses emanated from the muzzles. True to their name, the pulses sounded like screams. This got the dog's attention. While Drakken and Shego had to cover their ears, Commodore Puddles began thrashing his head about in pain. It was working…emphasis on was. The green glow around the dog that was missed by everyone increased in intensity. Energy seemed to converge near his mouth, and a powerful bark was accompanied by an equally powerful green pulse that struck two of the tanks. More barks followed and soon, the tanks were all incapacitated. After ensuring nothing else was attacking it, Commodore Puddles resumed his trek to the base. At that pace, he would reach it in less than five minutes.
Everyone's eyes went wide with that attack. Giant or not, a dog should not have been able to fire green energy blasts like that. Kim and Ron seemed to notice something familiar about that attack. "Hey, K.P., was that what I think it was?" Ron asked.
"Looked like it," she responded. She had seen Danny fight enough to recognize an ecto-blast when she saw one. "General, I don't know how, but Drakken somehow gave that dog ghost powers."
"Ghost powers?! What kind of campfire, smore-snackin', nonsense are you talking about?" The general replied.
"I'm serious. Ghosts are real. I have seen and fought them myself. That blast was an ecto-ray, and I doubt you have anything that will be effective against a giant ghost dog," Kim retorted.
General Sims thought for a second and said grimly, "Pilot, take us back to base. Corporal, order everyone to fall back to secondary defensive positions and await further orders." The pilots turned the helicopter around to return to the airfield.
Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator and said, "Hey Wade, we got a little hiccup here. Drakken somehow infused ghost powers into his dog, and I don't have anything big enough to stop it. We're going to need some help."
"I'll see what I can do, but I don't know what's nearby that might help against…" Wade responded before his signal became scrambled.
"Wade? Wade!?" Kim shouted.
"Disregard last Mr. Lode. We will take care of it," a familiar voice declared. Soon the screen unscrambled, and the Director's visage was seen. "Ms. Possible, we have been monitoring the situation and understand what has happened. We are going to send Phantom to you. He will arrive in less than 30 minutes. Please hold out until then. Also, I have been talking with other parties, and they are also preparing reinforcements. Expect them before Phantom. Good luck. Director, out." The link was then abruptly terminated.
On an empty desert highway in Northern Nevada, a black sedan was cruising along. Without warning, it suddenly began transforming. Wings sprung from its underside, its lines became more streamlined, and large engines emerged from the trunk. As they reached their final position, the engines ignited, and the car rapidly accelerated until it became airborne and finished its transformation. It then made a sharp turn south and pushed its engines to their max. Anyone lucky enough to see such an amazing sight also saw a corresponding flash of light.
Back at the mall, everyone had gotten drinks from smoothies, to teas, to coffees and were sitting on a group of benches making small talk. Danny was sitting in the middle with Star and Sammy on either side of him. Suddenly, the bench flipped backwards a full 360 degrees and when it was right side up again, no one was sitting on it. Naturally, everyone was shocked and concerned about what happened except for two who had seen this sort of thing before.
"Don't worry guys. They're fine," Alex said. "Give it a few minutes and either we will disappear too, or Star and Sammy will be back." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and returned to their beverages to await the return of their friends.
Danny, Star, and Sammy were taking a short tube ride after getting dumped off their bench. Danny and Sammy were accustomed to this, Sammy more so, but Star was having a mild panic attack. This was new and scary for her. The trio was deposited on a mat on the ground still holding their drinks. By some small miracle, not a drop had been spilled. They were greeted by the Director wearing a grim expression. "Ms. Simpson, Ms. Lett, I'm sorry for bringing you along, but unfortunately you were sitting on the same bench as Phantom. You will be returned shortly." She turned her attention to Danny and said, "Phantom, Ms. Possible needs your help. She is dealing with a giant ghost dog and is woefully under equipped to handle that. We are going to send you to her to help."
"What? How?" Danny stammered. He was having a hard time processing what was just said. She went to Nevada to deal with Drakken, not a giant ghost dog.
"I'll explain along the way. First, we have some equipment you will need," the Director said as she placed two Fenton blasters and a Fenton thermos on the table in front of her. Danny furrowed his brow when he saw them. He knew his parents sold some of their equipment but didn't realize that included blaster's and didn't know if Uncle Richie had replied to his dad yet about copyright infringement. He would ask his parents about this when he got home.
"How are you going to get Danny to Kim in time?" Sammy asked. She had been doing the math in her head, and it would take too long to get to Nevada from Amity Park by normal means. She started to get a sinking feeling.
"Dr. Burton and one of his creations is on loan to us for testing, Ms. Simpson," the Director replied. She knew what the device was actually called but refused to use that name. She couldn't understand why WOOHP would allow such an unprofessional code name, but then again, the engineer who built it was just as unprofessional despite his brilliance.
Sammy's face went pale as she recalled riding in one of Dr. Burton's "creations" with the rest of the team and nearly passing out…and vomiting…and rattling the teeth out of her head. Dr. Burton was infamous in WOOHP for his development of "unorthodox" methods of transportation and delivery. While he never compromised safety, each method was faster and more extreme than the last, but they were all equally terrifying. Danny and Star saw how she reacted, and both became extremely nervous.
"Is that safe?" Danny asked worriedly.
"As safe as it can be," the Director replied. "If I had a better option, I would use that, but unfortunately, it is the only option of getting you to her before it's too late. Time is a factor Phantom, you need to move RIGHT NOW."
Danny finally got the hint and grabbed the gear off the table as he changed into Phantom and ran out the door the Director was pointing to. The two girls still sitting on the mat watched as he disappeared behind the door and turned their attention back to the Director. "Will he make it?" Sammy asked with concern.
"If I didn't think his odds were good, I would not have sent him," she said matter-of-factly.
"He'll make it," Star said while holding Sammy's hand. "I know he will."
"I'm glad you're confident," The Director replied. "Before I send you back, of everything I have said, you are not allowed to mention Dr. Burton or Ms. Simpson's knowledge of him." Star nodded her head. "Thank you for your cooperation. You will be sent back to where you were sitting the same way. Feel free to tell the others what Phantom has been sent to do." Before either girl could respond, they were sucked back into the tube and ended up back on the same bench they left. After a brief explanation, everyone decided to head to Fenton Works to wait for Danny, Kim, and Ron to come home.
After Danny passed the door the Director pointed out, and the short hallway on the other side, he found himself in a missile silo. Two individuals were finishing their work when the taller of the two spotted Danny. He didn't really look like an engineer. He looked more like…a trucker? Before he could make sense of it, this person walked over to Danny and shook his hand with a big smile. "So you're the lunatic who volunteered to take a ride on the maiden voyage of the new and improved 'Porkchop Express.' You got some brass on you, kid. Dr. Burton, call me Jack."
"I guess? I'm…" Danny replied, but before he could respond Dr. Burton had already walked away and was working on another panel.
"Don't mind him," said the other engineer "Once he gets rolling, it's hard to stop him. Dr. Chi by the way," he said as he extended his hand which Danny shook. "I will get you ready to go while Jack finishes launch preparations. First, put this on." Dr. Chi handed Danny a fighter pilot's helmet. As Danny was donning the helmet, Dr. Chi put what looked like green chaps around Danny's waist before he began to zip the legs up and cinch them tight.
"What is this?" Danny asked while the pressure around his legs got tighter with each pull.
"A G-suit. It's meant to squeeze your legs with air pressure to help push the blood back up to your brain so you don't pass out. This is going to be a wild ride," Dr. Chi replied. He guided Danny to the pod he would be in and began connecting seatbelts, cords, and hoses. He showed Danny how things were connected so he could get out when he got to his destination. He locked Danny's oxygen mask into place, and Dr. Burton called him on the radio in the helmet. "How do you hear, kid?" he asked.
"Loud and clear," Danny replied.
"Great. You got about 30 seconds to launch. When we light this candle, it's gonna be really rough for about two minutes," he said as he gave a thumbs up to Dr. Chi who closed the hatch. Danny's heart was hammering in his chest as the countdown continued. "Here we go, kid! Just remember, it's all in the reflexes." Dr. Burton shouted as he hit the launch button with a huge grin.
"Huh?! What's all in the re..." Danny tried to ask before he was pinned to his seat by the force and he found himself unable to speak. True to his word, the extremely violent portion lasted only about two minutes before it smoothed out and Danny could do something besides keep his teeth in his head and not pass out. His ghost physiology seemed to help this significantly.
"Phantom, can you hear me?" the Director said over his radio.
"Yes," he replied. The director then began to fill him in on what was going with Kim. He had about 15 more minutes before he reached her.
Kim breathed a sigh of relief after her call. "Well, at least that was some good news," she said as the helicopter landed, and everybody jumped out.
"Follow me, you two" General Sims said to Kim and Ron as he and his aide quickly entered an elevator to an underground facility.
"General Sims, if you don't mind me asking, sir, what's the big secret? You know. Area 51 and all that?" Kim asked as the elevator descended.
"We know the rumors, flying saucers, alien technology, yada, yada. I mean, we already know about aliens thanks to the Director, but what's the real deal? What are you hiding here?" Ron added.
"You're about to find out," the general replied.
They thought it would have just been some kind of bunker, but instead it was a massive facility. Even more impressive were its contents. Numerous humans, some in black suits, and others in white lab coats, were working with aliens and on alien technology.
The pair knew aliens existed, but this still amazed them. It was one thing to see a picture, but it was quite another to see it in person. It suddenly became much more "real" that they were not alone in the universe. "Amazing. Flying saucers," Kim exclaimed.
"Alien technology," Ron continued.
"Yada, yada," General Sims finished.
"So are you all CIA or something?" Kim asked.
"We are part of a secret organization that monitors and polices alien activity on Earth. This base is meant as a research and development facility as well as to incarcerate some of the nastiest alien menaces," the general replied.
"But that means all the rumors are true." Kim said.
"Every last one of them. We've implemented a double-negative cover story. We make sure only to leak out information that is 100% accurate. Even 'influenced' some movies," Sims replied.
Ron interjected, "But, then, it's not really secret."
The general chuckled and said, "That's exactly what we want you to believe."
"Yeah, but then... Never mind," Ron replied. He wanted to argue, but felt it wasn't worth it.
The trio neared the command station when one of the Marines said, "General Sims, you'd better come see this." It showed the feed from a topside security camera almost directly above them. Commodore Puddles had found a spot he liked and began digging. The ceiling above them began rumbling from the excavation.
The stoic general realized they were in a dire situation and opened a channel to headquarters. "Zed, it's Sims. We are under attack from a hostile force. I am declaring 'Wildfire' protocol level one." As he said it, he unlocked a guarded swith on the console and pushed the button. A klaxon began sounding thoughout the base warning of the potential disaster.
An older gentleman appeared on the screen wearing the same black suit seen by other people in the base and replied, "Acknowledged. I have dispatched Agents F and G to you, and they should arrive in about 10 minutes. Ms. Possible's people have also dispatched reinforcements and should arrive about five minutes after that. Until then, please hold the line. Ms. Possible should be able to help with that. You are authorized to equip her with whatever you deem necessary."
"General," Kim asked, "If there is a level one, is there a level two?"
"There is. At that point, I arm the base's self-destruct devices," he replied.
"And at three?" she was almost afraid to ask.
"Boom." he answered without even looking away from the screen. "There are things in this place that CANNOT get out."
"Hey K.P., do you have anything to keep that thing busy?" Ron asked worriedly.
"Just my ghost gauntlets, a laser lipstick, and rocket skates," Kim replied. "I don't have to stop it, just keep it busy," she added as much to Ron as a reminder to herself. This was going to be insanely dangerous. Anything's possible for a Possible, she thought.
"I can help with that," the general added. "Follow me."
After a short walk, they arrived at a section of the base that looked like an R and D lab. "Agent Q, I have someone who could use some extra gear to deal with Fido topside. What do you got?" General Sims asked.
A lab coated agent turned around and looked at Kim. He was tall with a thick moustache and British accent. "Ah yes, let's see. We'll start with something for mobility then," he mused. He began looking around at the equipment and found a few items he thought would be useful. "First, a hoverboard. Much like a terrestrial skateboard but with 'repulsor-lift' pads instead of wheels. It is big enough for two and capable of holding any altitude up to 100 meters. You will use your backfoot to steer the thrusters while your position on the board will control pitch and roll. Bank no more than 45 degrees. Top speed of 150 kph, but be wary of wind resistance at that speed." He grabbed silver item that the general shape of a gun, but with strange coloring and protuberancs. "Series three Voltaic Shock Rifle. Think of it as a wireless TASER with much longer range. Capable of incapacitating targets up to Proximans, if you hit them right. Effective range of 50 meters, but the delivered power starts to drop off after 35. It should work to give a significant jolt to your canine to get his attention, but will likely be nothing more than a nuisance so keep that in mind." He grabbed a pair of slightly oversized clear lensed protective eyewear that had a earpiece attached to the frame. "Last, communications headset with integrated heads-up display. This will keep you in contact with us as well as increase your situational awareness by integrating with our computer core and the hoverboard's navigation systems. Do please try to return this equipment in pristine order."
Kim took the new toys with a smile, "Spankin'. Thanks Agent Q. Can't make any promises though."
Q just rolled his eyes and returned to his work. "Young people these days," he lamented. No one seemed to notice when Rufus climbed down from Ron and grabbed a small hover device. This naked mole rat had a score to settle with a certain canine, and he knew just how to do so. He also suspected they would need his help. As everyone was absorbed with Kim, he slipped away back to where this whole thing started.
"Remember Ms. Possible, you two will be alone for about 10 minutes before my reinforcements arrive. Don't do anything foolish," General Sims said.
"More foolish than acting as bait for a giant ghost dog that shoots ecto-blasts?" Kim quipped with a smirk.
The general chuckled and replied, "Yes, more foolish than that, young lady. Semper Fi!" He then sharply saluted Kim and Ron as they headed back topside.
Drakken was sitting on the poodle's back while it dug and shouted, "Yes! Dig, Commodore Puddles."
Kim stepped into view and quipped, "Not so fast, Drakken, there's a leash law in this state."
Ron spoiled the mood as he had gotten too deep into the cliched "movie director" role and said, "Kim, can you deliver that witty banter line again? You were out of frame. Thanks, babe!"
Kim glared with irritation and shouted, "Ron!"
Drakken used this distraction to take advantage of the situation and said, "Commodore Puddles, attack!"
Kim fired up the hoverboard and sped off with Ron holding on for dear life but still filming. Their pursuer chased the duo around snapping with jaws and swiping with claws, always a little too slow. It eventually shifted to firing ecto-blast barks, but the hoverboard was nimble enough to avoid the shots. Luckily for Kim and Ron, the animal did not appear to be able to fly, either because it didn't know it could or the ghost powers weren't strong enough.
After a fruitless pursuit, the poodle decided she wasn't worth the effort and began to go back to digging. "No! Attack! Attack!" Drakken shouted to no avail. His dog was an ordinary dog and not trained for attack.
It was then Kim used the shock rifle. Just as the agent said, it only gave a jolt to the dog as it yelped in surprise and confusion. Between getting a residual shock and the poodle jumping, Drakken and Shego were launched off the animal and landed on the ground. As they slowly got back up, their hair was standing on end from the electrocution. Drakken futilely continued to try to direct his dog, while Shego just watched with disinterest after fixing her hair.
Commodore Puddles eventually realized who hit him and angrily chased Kim and Ron again. "What I wouldn't give for the Fenton Peeler right about now," Kim said to herself.
Kim was staying ahead of the dog, but only just barely. Too far and the dog would stop chasing, too close and the risk of getting eaten went up. 10 minutes was a long time in a fight and fatigue was starting to show. "10 seconds Ms. Possible," the General said, referring to his reinforcements. Kim did not reply as it was not necessary, and her attention was completely focused on not getting bitten. Soon enough, two large blasts impacted the side of her foe just as he was about to launch another ecto-ray. It didn't seem to injure it, but did immediately get its attention.
She looked at where the shots came from and saw two black suited men seemingly floating in the air holding very large silver guns. As soon as Commodore Puddles began charging, they split up after firing another volley. The impacts distracted him long enough for the agents to keep good distance. As to how they were moving, they seemed to have devices embedded in their shoes that acted like her hoverboard, but much smaller and more powerful. The two agents also seemed to be able to manipulate these devices with much greater ease.
Commodore Puddles began chasing one while the other came to Kim's side. "Ms. Possible and Mr. Stoppable, I presume," he said. Kim and Ron nodded their heads. "Agent G. My partner, Agent F, and I have been sent to help focus this creature's attention until your reinforcements can arrive."
"Glad to have the help," she replied. "How much do you know about what you are dealing with?"
"We are fully briefed," he answered. It would be much easier to run out the clock with their help. Ron didn't seem to notice the agent eyeing his camera.
Danny was a couple minutes from landing when Dr. Burton came back over the radio. "Hey kid, you're almost there. You remember how rough the launch was on this thing?"
Danny grimaced as he recalled how unpleasant that had been. "Yeah?" he answered, worried where this question was going.
"Good, because you're about to start the landing sequence, and it's a whole lot worse," Jack said with a warning.
Before Danny could wonder how much worse it could have been, he felt a huge force slam him forward against his harness. His body went from greater than Mach 4 to safe landing speed at an insane rate. The straps dug uncomfortably into his shoulders and waist as it did. After about 90 seconds the rocket thumped and stopped completely as it landed. "Alright kid, you've landed. Still with us?" Jack asked.
Danny took a moment to let his head clear before answering. "Still here," he said.
"Glad to hear it. Look on your left side and you will see a large red guarded switch labeled 'HATCH.' Open the guard and flip the switch. It will pop the hatch open," Jack directed. Danny flipped the switch and the hatch flew off. He looked around to get his bearings. To the South was a military base which he guessed was the direction he needed to go. "Do you remember how to take off all the equipment?"
Danny answered, "Not really, but I have a better idea. Thanks for the ride, Jack."
"Thanks for the data, kid. Now go kick some ass," he said as he signed off. Danny simply went intangible and all the gear fell off. He grabbed the thermos and blasters and flew off in the direction of the base and, hopefully, Kim.
Drakken had been trying to redirect his dog back to the hole he was digging but to no avail. The agents and Kim were just doing too good a job distracting Commodore Puddles and his time had just run out. "Kim!" Danny shouted as he got closer.
Kim looked up to see just who she wanted to see flying in as fast as he could. "Phantom!" she replied. There was still a giant ghost dog to deal with so they had to keep moving.
"Are you two ok?" he asked, as he kept pace.
"I'm fine. These guys were a big help keeping Drakken's dog occupied," she said as she gestured to the agent.
"Agent G, CIA division six," he introduced himself with a handshake.
"Thanks for the help," Danny said.
"These guys work with aliens, dude! Isn't that awesome!" Ron added.
Danny was surprised, but Kim brought everyone back to task. "Not now Ron! Phantom, how much do you know, and do you have a plan?" Kim asked.
"Everything, and yes." Danny replied. "I'm going to try to do what I did when Desiree turned Dash into a monster. Just keep it distracted while I do it. Also, take these. They might be more effective." He then handed Kim and Ron the blasters and thermos.
"All over it," Kim said with a smile.
Agent G had been waiting for an opportunity and this was it. Ron was out of hands when being handed the blaster and thermos so Agent G said, "I'll hold your camera."
Ron was absolutely oblivious to what was about to happen and said, "Oh, thanks dude." He handed Agent G the camera as he juggled the new equipment into pockets. No one noticed when the agent slipped a device into one of the camera's unused memory slots. This got so much easier since people moved from cassette tape to flash media, he thought as he handed the camera back to Ron.
Danny launched himself toward Commodore Puddles and fired a couple ecto-blasts at him. "Hey Lassie! The trick 'playing dead' doesn't mean you are supposed to become a ghost," Danny quipped. The dog growled at Danny's intrusion. Before he could do anything about the new interloper, an ecto-blaster hit him from the side and redirected his attention away from Danny. Danny took this opportunity and flew straight into Commodore Puddles. The beast shuddered for a moment before Danny was ejected and landed near Kim.
"Phantom! Are you ok?!" she shouted.
Danny got up and wiped off the ectoplasm from his lip. "Yeah. Just wasn't expecting that kind of resistance. Won't happen again though," he said as he flew back into the dog. This time he wasn't ejected. It shuddered and then seemed to start fighting an invisible enemy. It would swipe, bite, and turn even though there was nothing there. All the while, the heroes and agents swirled around the dog like angry bees taking shots to keep it distracted. After about a minute, it whimpered in pain just before Danny emerged holding a very angry ghost dog by the scruff of the neck. As he emerged, the green glow of Commodore Puddles subsided before ceasing entirely.
Danny looked like had been in a fight as there were scratch and bite marks all over his body, but that didn't seem to slow him down in the slightest as he quickly healed. The shock of having his ghost powers forcibly extracted like that was an incredibly painful and disorienting process. Commodore Puddles staggered before collapsing to the ground. He would quickly recover from the stun, but for the moment, he was down.
Danny flew over to Kim and Ron before saying "Ron. Thermos please." Ron grabbed the thermos and handed it to Danny before he used it to suck the ghost dog into it. He still didn't know what to do about the dog, but he did know what to do with the two people who had been directing it.
"No! Get up and fight! Commodore Puddles, sic 'em!" Drakken shouted at the disoriented animal. Danny took that opportunity to invisibly grab both Drakken and Shego by a leg and fly them to the nearest Marine guard contingent. The guards were confused as the two villians seemingly flew upside down to their position and then dropped in the middle of them. Not looking a gift horse, they all immediately leveled their weapons at them. Once the shock of getting yanked, flown, and dropped to the ground wore off, they realized they were outnumbered and surrounded. Wisely, they decided surrender was the best course of action.
The heroes still hadn't figured out what to do with Commodore Puddles yet. They had no cage or other restraint sufficiently large to hold it. Even worse, it was starting to get back up.
Even though Danny had pulled the ghost factor from the giant dog, it was still a giant dog, and they didn't have much that could stop the dog without killing it in the process. It slowly got up and took a few seconds to shake off the stun of having its ghost factor ripped out. Luckily help was on the way. The heroes sensed a rumble that wasn't corresponding to the dog's movements. Those tremors continued to get louder and louder until they stopped entirely only for huge flesh colored object to come slamming into the ground nearby. When it landed a massive cloud of dust was thrown into the air obscuring it.
Commodore Puddles had completely recovered and assumed a defensive stance while baring his fangs and growling. He didn't know what just arrived, but recognized the threat regardless. Within the cloud, a faint green light appeared near the ground. Slowly it began ascending whatever it was attached to while also making a noise like an electric generator slowly spinning up. As it reached its zenith, the creature generating it emerged. The giant naked mole rat had green energy running the length of his spine. As he reared back to inhale, the energy converged near his mouth and he rocked forward breathing out a powerful green ecto-blast that struck the dog solidly almost like a fire hose. It was powerful enough to knock him to the ground and keep him there. This seemed to take all the fight out of him because he didn't get back up and just stayed in a submissive pose whimpering.
"HA, HA, HA! GO RUFUS!!! " Ron was absolutely elated. Not only had Rufus saved the day, he had truly found his inner Godzilla, AND Ron had been able to record the entire fight. He was sure he would win the film competition now. Rufus let out a triumphant roar that sounded less like a rodent and more like an atomic powered lizard.
After Drakken, Shego, and Commodore Puddles were captured, Gen. Sims decided to have a word with the two trouble makers. He was not happy his base had been demolished to the degree it was and needed to ensure these two knew it was not a good idea to do so again, not that they would remember. "Corporal, go to my office and retrieve my campaign cover. Double Time," General Sims ordered.
"Yes, sir," the aide replied and ran off towards his office.
"This will be interesting. Want me to time you?" Agent F asked.
"Outstanding idea!" Gen Sims said with a wicked grin.
When the aide returned, Gen. Sims shed his service coat and service cover and handed it to him. Taking the drill instructor hat in hand, he whispered, "Hello old friend."
"Did you used to be a drill sergeant?" Kim asked.
Gen. Sims smiled wistfully and replied, "In another life, young lady. In another life." The hat fit the General's head like it was the most natural thing in the world.
A noticeable change in his posture occurred as he marched over to the two prisoners and began to berate them mercilessly. It was enough to make a sailor blush, and then faint. The heroes and the two agents were still in earshot and heard everything that was said. The agents wore neutral expressions, but the heroes were uncomfortable.
"Are you sure we're old enough to hear this?" Ron asked. He had never heard insults like that before.
"Probably not," Danny replied. He winced a little as the General's tirade picked up steam.
"Remind me never to get on his bad side," Kim murmured.
Even with as much trouble as Drakken and Shego caused, they almost felt bad for them. Almost. After only 3 minutes and 42 seconds, Gen. Sims had reduced the once proud villains to empty shells. Shego was sitting on the ground with her arms pulling her legs into her chest and her head buried in them. She might have been crying, but they couldn't tell with her face hidden. Their only clue was that occasionally her body would shudder. Drakken's face, on the other hand, was clearly visible and wearing a terrified expression. He was also sucking his thumb and rocking back and forth in the fetal position. They couldn't quite tell, but it looked like the ground beneath him was also damp, but didn't know if that was just a trick of the light or not. This wasn't something they wanted to get too close to.
After Gen. Sims was done, he marched back over to the rest of the group. "3:42. I believe that is a new record, General," Agent F said.
Gen. Sims chuckled, "I still got it," he said with a huge smirk. He doffed his campaign cover with almost reverence and handed it back to his aide before putting his coat and service cover back on. "You'd think actual villains would have more stamina than the 18-year-old recruits. I guess not. Disappointing." The two villains were then taken to the brig to await transport to a suitable prison.
"That's one problem solved," Danny said as he turned to look at a larger one, both figuratively and literally. They still had to get Rufus and the dog back to normal.
"Tell them to follow us," Agent F said as he pushed a button on what looked like a key fob. Before anyone could ask "follow you in what," a large black sedan pulled up with no one behind the wheel. "We'll head back to where this started and use the machine again. Ms. Possible, and Mr. Stoppable please get in. Phantom, would you mind flying?"
"Sure," Danny said.
"Hey Rufus!" Ron shouted "Follow this car. We're gonna turn you both back to normal."
"OK," the gigantic ghost rodent grunted as he gave a thumbs up. He still had the dog by the neck, and it was smart enough to know not to fight Rufus. After a short drive, the group was back at what was left of the hanger after both beasts were enlarged. Now it was just the device surrounded by debris.
"So this is the device that Drakken was using," Danny said as he examined the "shrink ray." He could feel the faint energy of the ectoplasm coming from somewhere in the device. Ghostification would keep happening until it was extracted. After floating around, looking for the source, he eventually found where Drakken had poured the vial out onto the focusing array. "I wonder if the thermos can just suck this up?" he wondered out loud. He pointed the thermos at it and sure enough, the ectoplasm was drawn into it like any other ghost. "Well, that was easy," he said. "Ok, you should be able to put this thing in reverse and it should make them normal size again."
Ron was nervous, "Are you sure? Drakken DID put this together. I'm not willing to put Rufus at risk for a 'should.'"
Ron had a point so Agent F offered a compromise. He had a job to do with the shrink ray anyway. "Let me give this machine a look, then we will use it on the dog. After it's shown to work, then we can use it on Rufus. Will that be acceptable?"
Ron thought for a minute, "Ok, but I get to call it off if I don't like it."
Agent F nodded in agreement. He began examining the device like he somehow already knew how it was put together. After checking every connection and component and some minor repair work, he said, "Other than some short circuiting due to liquid contamination. The device is in good shape. I have fixed the broken parts and set it to 'shrink' so it should return the dog back to normal now. Also, G, it's definately 'his.'"
Agent G grimaced. They suspected who made this device and after F's examination, they now knew. He needed to make a call and pulled out his comm pad. "Zed, examination of the device is complete. We have confirmation."
The older gentleman on the other end pinched the bridge of his nose and said with a sigh, "Damn-it Schneider. Can't you keep anything locked up?" He returned his attention to G and asked, "Intentional?"
G replied, "No evidence of that. I suspect it was stolen like everything else."
The senior agent said, "Understood, I'll send a team over to have a word with him…again. If he is not careful, I'll end up having to deport him. I also have a team enroute to sanitize the area. You are cleared to head back once they arrive." He ended the call after that.
"Who's 'Schneider'?" Ron asked.
Agent G responded, "A brilliant, but careless Arquilian scientist. He has developed all manner of equipment, including this shrink ray, but has a hard time keeping them secure either by poor security or by getting tricked. The only reason we put up with it is because he has helped us develop new tech, and he is part of the Arquilian diplomatic mission. Today will probably be his last chance to get his act together though. As nice as it is to have the stuff he makes, dealing with situations like this is almost not worth it."
They didn't have much time for contemplation though. There were still two giant animals that needed to be returned to proper size. Agent F pointed the shrink ray at Commodore Puddles and hit the button. The dog smoothly returned to his proper size with no ill effects.
Before Rufus could be returned to his normal size, his ghost factor also had to be removed. Fortunately for both Danny and Rufus, this time was much less difficult. Unlike Dash and Commodore Puddles, they weren't fighting and Rufus was willingly surrendering it. When Danny emerged, he was holding a ghost naked mole rat, but this one was calm and friendly. As Danny activated the thermos, it jumped into the stream like it was diving into a pool.
Then it was Rufus' turn to shrink. After he gave a confident thumbs-up, Ron gave a nod and Agent F hit the button again. Rufus returned to normal size and scampered over to a very relieved Ron. "Rufus, buddy. I'm glad you're ok."
Rufus gave Ron a quick hug before he returned to his spot in Ron's pocket.
Danny had been dying to ask one particular question ever since he learned they worked with aliens regularly. Since things had calmed down, he felt now was the time to ask. "Since you guys work with aliens, there's a question I've been wanting to ask. What is the weirdest thing you have seen since you've been agents?"
They thought for a second and F answered, "Believe it or not, Swedish Meatballs."
"What?" Danny asked with incredulity.
"I'm absolutely serious," he added.
"You're pulling my leg," Danny said.
"Look kid, being an agent means you see all manner of stuff that doesn't make sense, and if you don't just roll with the punches, you'll lose your sanity inside a week. Despite all that, this dish was the biggest surprise. One of the alien ambassadors was actually the first to notice it. Apparently every species we have encountered that eat meat and cook their food has an almost identical dish native to their world. We assigned one of our junior agents to research this and, without exception, it was found everywhere. He was actually given a commendation for being brave enough to try them all."
"He was given a medal?…for eating meatballs?" Ron asked.
"Eating alien cuisine can actually be quite dangerous which is why we don't recommend it," G replied. "There was a real danger he wouldn't survive the experiment." This day was just full of surprises for the three heroes.
Night had fallen and the clear Nevada sky offered a beautiful view of the stars. This wasn't the first time they had been stargazing, but tonight however, they looked different. The agents' conversation reminded them again that they were not alone in the universe. The stars weren't just points of light, they were homes of countless other races. They felt like this before when the Director had revealed the existence of aliens, but this much more intense after everything Kim and Ron had seen.
Just then, another vehicle arrived carrying half a dozen agents. They began collecting the shrink ray, Rufus' "borrowed" hoverboard, as well as Kim's equipment. After a quick scan to ensure they were clean, they were cleared to leave. The agents had all three ride in their car to Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas for debrief with the Director. Even in their car, it still took an hour to get there.
Once there, the three heroes waited for her to arrive. They didn't know she was already there and in the other room. While they waited, Ron was examining the video with an overjoyed expression. The battle gained him significant footage for his homemade monster movie starring Rufus. Not to mention aliens, villains, big explosions, and pretty much everything else you would need for such a film. He was sure to win the film festival now. "Hey Rufus, you ready to be a big star, buddy?" Ron asked excitedly.
"Uh-huh, uh-huh," replied a proud looking rodent standing on Ron's shoulder.
Kim and Danny were just sitting in adjacent chairs relaxing and holding hands. The fight took a lot out of them, but they were happy to have won. "Is there any way to forbid Drakken from doing any other plots involving ghosts? Every time he does, it becomes a giant pain…no pun intended," Danny joked.
"I wish," Kim replied with a snicker. "That's the nature of baddies, I suppose. You were a big help, though. Thanks." She leaned in to kiss him and Danny leaned in to accept it.
In the adjacent room, Agents F and G were talking with the Director about what came next. "What are your intentions, Madam Director?" Agent F asked.
The Director responded without a moment of hesitation, "The only things they are authorized to know is what I have already told them. That aliens exist, our government is aware and in contact, and when 'official' first-contact was made. That is information they will need when I send them to try to recruit X-626. Beyond that, nothing they have seen or done today is needed for that purpose. You will need to administer a 'eye exam' Agent F, and don't forget the naked mole rat and the video Mr. Stoppable made."
Agent F nodded and said, "Very good. Here's the after-action report that Ms. Possible will submit, and the video will be taken care of. I'm sure Mr. Stoppable will be pleased. We have also already taken care of Drakken and Shego. You will be able to process them normally now without concern."
The Director briefly looked over the report and nodded in approval. "This is good. Thank you again for your hard work."
"Just doing our jobs, ma'am," Agent F said. The agents left the Director and entered the room with the heroes. "Lady and gentlemen. You have our thanks for your actions today in safeguarding critical facilities and innocent lives. We have one more item of business with you before we leave. An eye exam."
An eye exam? That's weird, Danny thought. Something in the back of his mind was saying you've heard this before, but he couldn't remember exactly what. Everything about this seemed like an older movie he might have seen. One of the agents pulled out a thin silver cylindrical device with a lens on the end from his pocket. The voice in the back of Danny's mind was even louder. You've seen this before, it said. Just as the agent was raising the device, Danny finally remembered and asked, "Hey! Is that a neur…" *FLASH*
Kim's mind was in a fog, but it didn't bother her for some reason. Slowly the fog began to clear, and she began to remember. We had been called to Nevada to deal with a Drakken plot. Something to do with an Air Force Base North of Las Vegas. Creech, maybe. They had to call in Danny when it was found that Drakken had been using some kind of ectoplasm in the device he used on his…dog? We worked with the base commander to keep the dog away until Danny could immobilize it, and the dog was returned to its original size. He had arrived by experimental Global Justice rocket. While Danny was dealing with the dog, Ron and I took down Drakken and Shego. I don't know what he was after but it doesn't matter. He wanted to steal something, and that was enough to stop him. We succeeded. Did I always remember so few details? I guess that doesn't matter either, she thought. Eventually the fog completely cleared, and she was standing next to Danny and Ron while the Director was congratulating them on a job well done.
"Good job, you three. The base commander also sends his thanks. Your actions saved a lot of lives today. You will be heading back home by Global Justice jet that leaves in 30 minutes. Try and get some rest on the way home," the Director said.
Kim replied, "You're welcome, ma'am. I'm glad we could help." With that the heroes left the briefing room for the tarmac the jet was on. Once onboard, Ron began looking at the video on his camera with a wide grin. "Ron, why did you even bring that thing on the mission? It's not like you were going to take video during the fight," she asked.
"I know," Ron said before he paused to think and then continued with a furrowed brow, "Actually, I don't know. You're right, I'm not sure why I even brought the camera. Maybe I thought I would have time to figure out how I wanted to edit it?"
Ron began looking through the footage seeing Rufus put on his best giant monster impression while smashing the set Danny and Tucker had put together. Ron didn't know that the only real footage was what they made at Fenton Works. The agents had access to very powerful computers, and they were able to create just enough additional fake footage to nudge Ron in a new direction for his film, but not enough for anyone to get suspicious. He still had work to do to finish it. Everything else after they arrived in Nevada had been erased. It would have been easy enough to just destroy the video and erase his memory of it, but he had risked his life for them and their fellow agents and just erasing everything seemed to…heartless. Who knows what kind of embarrassing video would have been submitted in its place.
The next week, Ron's completed movie was queued up for screening. The whole crew was in attendance in anticipation of his "masterpiece." It was a quiet day in Middleton when a radioactive waste truck crashed into a pet shop. All of the animals escaped except for one unfortunate naked mole rat. Being in such a traumatic experience, this creature began rampaging around town after growing enormous. Nothing could stop him as he destroyed block after block. It was hopeless…until one young man took a gamble and attempted to befriend the monster. By some miracle, it worked, and the young man was able to lead it to somewhere safe. It eventually became an asset to the town as well as the unofficial mascot. The end.
The crowd gave decent applause, and Ron was understandably proud. Between Tucker and Danny's building skills and Danny's ghost powers, the set and practical effects were actually quite good for a no-budget garage production. As good as it was, he didn't get first place. The film club from school actually took top honors with their film while Ron had to settle for second place, but he was no less happy with the result. The star of the show was even happier as he sat on Ron's shoulder wearing "movie star" sunglasses.
"Keep it up Rufus, and you'll get a big head too," Kim warned with a smile. Rufus just winked and smiled back.