Kim Possible: Path of the Shinobi
So the Drama was a changing point in the lives of Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible. But what if the night played out differently than before? What if Eric was never revealed, Drakken was stopped by the Sidekick and the world never knew? This is the story of Ron's Path of the Shinobi.
Chapter IV: Let's Get Down To Business
The cool early morning air of the Yamanouchi Mountains swept through the leaves of the Hidden Ninja School, as Ron Stoppable stood before Master Sensei and Yori at the gates of Yamanuchi. Ron was decked out in his white training Gi as he was set on becoming stronger and improving himself in three months. It had been a day since Ron had confronted the conflicts that had plagued his heart. Come to realise that he needed to stop living in the past and instead face the challenges that present themselves to him if he wanted to improve himself. While he had his heart sorted, to some degree, it was time to focus on his body.
"I'm ready to begin my lessons, Sensei," Ron greeted as he bowed to his mentor.
"I am pleased at your eagerness, Stoppable-San. Now that you have confronted the conflicts of your heart, we must focus on your body. When you came to this school one year ago, you… struggled…with the lessons," Master Sensei said as Ron nodded, recalling the times he failed the lessons. "Do not be disheartened by your failures, they are but stepping stones on the path to success. And if you recall, you achieved victory over Fukushima's betrayal with the minimal training we provided you. This is a positive sign of your ability to adapt."
"Oh yeah…I did…by the way, what happened to Fukushima?" Ron asked as Sensei sighed sadly.
"...Sadly, he was expelled from Yamanouchi and detained at one of our sacred monasteries for those that have strayed from the path. His pride and arrogance blinded him and cost him everything…" Yori explained as Ron looked down.
"I know what you are thinking and do not feel guilty, Stoppable-San. Fukushima allowed his pride to guide his choice, which cost him everything. If he wishes redemption, he must earn it. For now, focus on your training, not the mistakes of another," Sensei warned him as Ron nodded.
"Yes Sensei, by the way. Why am I here and not with the others?" Ron asked as he noticed the lack of other students
"This portion of your training will focus on reforging your body to become that of a Shinobi. The other students have lived here longer than you and have gone through many more intense training methods.," Sensei informed as Ron bowed his head.
"Oh…"
"That's not to say you will not receive any lesser training, Stoppable-San. The training we have planned for you will be far more intense than the others." Sensei said as Ron looked up. "Recall what I said about how well you succeeded with the minimal amount of training, combine that with your unique ability to learn quickly given the right circumstance. I believe that if we push you to the absolute limit, we can help to bring out your true potential," Master Sensei said as Ron nodded.
"Then when can we begin?" he asked before a staff with two buckets was placed in his hands. He looked over to see Yori as she handed the piece of wood to him.
"I believe now will be a good time," the man said amusingly as Ron raised a brow.
"The training ahead will be difficult, Stoppable-San. Many fellow students and graduates have extensively trained their bodies to be strong, swift and agile. We must first break you down, and then build you back up." Yori explained as she gestured to the empty buckets. "We will start with your stamina, which is impressive already. You will start by carrying these buckets down the stairs, fill them up at the river below and then carry them back up to the basin. You will continue to do so every morning until your training is complete," she said as Ron's eyes bulged as he looked at the buckets and then the long winding stairs of Yamanuchi.
"Having Second Thoughts, Stoppable-San?" Sensei asked with amusement as Ron stared before gripping his fists.
"...No Sensei, I came all this way. I'm not going to let these stairs stop me," he said as he looked down the stairs. "No matter how long they are…" he had a mild sense of regret before he grabbed the buckets and started his journey down the stairs. The pair watched as he made his way down the stairs.
"He has determination, but will it be enough, Sensei?" Yori asked as the man nodded.
"He is no longer weighed down by the regrets of the past and has paved a way forward for the future. We can offer him guidance, but his fate is in his hands now…" Sensei advised as she nodded.
"Whoa!" they heard as Ron tripped and tumbled down the last few flights of stairs. The pair cringed slightly as he landed at the bottom. "...ow…"
"...Maybe have the healers prepare more bandages?" Yori asked as Sensei nodded.
After spending a few hours carrying buckets of water up the stairs until the sun rose, Ron was escorted to a large seemingly empty hallway. His body was already sore, and he could feel his limbs begin to weigh like lead bars.
"Ow…" Ron grumbled before he stood in attention.
"Feeling tired, Stoppable-San?" Sensei asked as Ron shook his head.
"N-No sir, I'm feeling great!" he responded sarcastically as the elderly man chuckled slightly.
"Good, because this next portion will be to run this obstacle," he pulled a lever on the wall as the hallway began to transform. Gears and springs moved into place as the Hallway became a large obstacle course, complete with tight ropes, climbing walls, pitfalls and swinging logs.
"...How come I didn't see this the last time I was here?"
"This course is meant more for the advanced portions of our curriculum. It has been part of his school for generations. This course will help you to improve at an accelerated rate. For this task, you must run through this course and make it to the other side. There is no time limit, but fall off the course and you must start again," Sensei instructed as Ron looked at all the very painful methods of hurting him as he gulped. But he didn't come all this way to back down now.
He made a mad sprint for the obstacle course, making good progress past the first line. He had years of learning to run, avoid and dodge henchmen and Shego. This made it rather easy for him to avoid the pitfalls and traps the course sprung on him. He seemed to grin at this as he almost made it to the end.
'Alright, I'm going to make it!' Ron thought to himself, only to immediately get hit by a log that came out of nowhere.
"Gah!" Ron yelled as he was thrown off the course and landed on the ground. He groaned as he slowly got back up. "That hurt…"
"Impressive first attempt, Stoppable-San. The experience you have gained in your missions has served you well," Sensei spoke as Ron turned to him. "But overconfidence can be the downfall of anyone lest they act with caution," Sensei advised as Ron nodded and got back up.
He ran through the course again, jumping and dodging the obstacles, he dodged the swinging log this time, almost making it to the end, only for a new obstacle to pop out of nowhere and send him tumbling to the ground.
"Ow…." he groaned as Ron looked up to see the trap return to a previously hidden section. "Hey no fair! That's cheating!" Ron yelled as he pointed at the two shinobi that seemed to appear from nowhere. "Nobody told me that the course could change! How was I supposed to dodge that!?"
"In battle fairness does not exist. Your opponents will use every means of trickery to achieve victory. They can resort to any method: lying, cheating and deceiving to defeat you," Sensei lectured as Ron turned to him. "If you wish to prevail, you must be ready to react to any sudden change, now. Again!" he said as Ron sighed and got back up to run the course.
He spent the next few hours training, running and avoiding the obstacles. Slowly but surely getting better and better.
"AHHHHH!" Ron was thrown off by another log and he landed face down on the floor.
…it will just take a while…
The next section of their training was in a large hall, with an assortment of books, scrolls and artefacts. Ron was still rubbing his aching joints as he stood in front of Yori and Sensei.
"How are you feeling Stoppable-San?" Sensei asked rhetorically as Ron groaned.
"Like I got hit with several flying logs…Oh wait, I did…" he joked as he rubbed his sides.
"Pain is sometimes associated with Progress."
"If that's the case, I'm making great progress…ow…" Ron mumbled under his breath as the old man chuckled.
"Indeed. Now, While we work on your body, we will also focus on your mind," Sensei explained as he gestured to Yori. "A true Warrior is both a master of his own body and his mind. While improving your body is essential, we will also work on improving your academics and mental skills. Yori will be your tutor, she has extensive knowledge of academics, graduating top of her class at university," Ron roasted a brow.
"You went to College?" he asked as she nodded.
"I was ahead of my class, Stoppable-San. I will be more than happy to help you improve your academic skills," she said as Ron cringed a little.
"I got to warn you though…I made a super genius want to bang his head after trying to teach me…" he said as she nodded.
"Have no fear Stoppable-San, I can be patient with the worst students. And I do not believe you are one such student," she said as he raised a brow. "I believe your mind is sharp, but distracted easily and You give yourself far little credit. You only need the right motivation, one I believe you now have," she said while Ron was hesitant but nodded as he sat down.
"If you're sure…just don't say I didn't warn you," he said as she chuckled.
"If that is the case, I should also inform you that we have weapons training in an hour. So if what you say is true…at least I will have an excuse to vent my frustrations," she joked as Ron nervously began to sweat.
"Yeah…" he gulped as they got back to studying.
Later, we find Ron hiding in the shadows, as he tries carefully to sneak through the hallways to the main dojo. He was now training in the art of stealth, being silent and one with the shadows. The objective of this exercise was to move like a silent breeze and pass by unnoticed by all. Which was saying a lot, seeing as he was in a school devoted entirely to Ninjutsu. The rules of the training was that if he was caught, or made too much noise he had to restart the course all over again.
So far he has failed several times.
He had experience with stealth missions before with Kim, but usually, they were spotted because of either him or dumb luck. Plus those guys were mostly incompetent and lazy, whereas his current opponents were masters of the hidden arts. But Ron was determined to improve as he snuck into the large dojo, his target in sight as he moved carefully across the floor, cringing every time he felt the floorboards creak. He looked up as Sensei appeared not to notice him as he sighed a breath of relief.
When suddenly he felt the press of wood against his neck as Yori emerged from the shadows behind him, fully dressed in her ninja outfit as she pulled down her mask.
"Again," Yori said as Ron sighed as Sensei turned to them. "Impressive attempt, Stoppable-San…but mind your footing. To become one with the shadows, you must be like a shadow, and move silently and deadly…"
Snort!* Ron had to hold in a snort as he heard the words silent and deadly. This earned him a fair whack on the head as Yori rolled her eyes. "Sorry," he said and went back to the start of the course.
An Hour Later, Ron found himself lying face down on the ground, as he groaned. Yori stood over him with a bo staff in hand, as Ron turned to her.
"...This wouldn't be… you venting out your frustration for studying, right?" he asked as she coyly smirked.
"That is up to you," she said as Ron sighed.
"I'll take that as a yes…" Ron groaned as he got back up. The pair resumed their stance as they circled each other in the training grounds.
The next portion of Ron's training involved weapons. As Shinobi, they needed to be affiliated and familiarised with using a weapon. Now Ron and Kim were not much for using Weapons on their missions. Most of the time the bad guys only came at them with stun batons or gimmick weapons. But in the cases like Shego, Duff Killigan and Dr Dementor, who used more plasma or explosive-like weapons, their plans were mostly to dodge and foil their plots. However, Master Sensei insisted upon including it in his training program.
The pair circled before Ron attacked first, jabbing his staff towards Yori, who deflected the wooden pole away from her body. She thrust her own towards Ron's head, as he just managed to avoid the pole. He quickly stumbled back to avoid the length of the pole as he brought up his guard and defected her attacks. The poles cracked against each other loudly, as both of them seemed to dance around the training ground.
Yori swung her pole as Ron blocked with his guard, and again for the second before she managed to strike from below. Causing his arms to go high, and his legs to be exposed as she tripped him to the floor.
Before he could get up, she placed the end of her pole just under his chin, and her foot on his chest. Effectively declaring that she had won the match.
"You are getting better, Stoppable-San," she said as she removed the pole from his neck. "But you still have much to learn," she said as she helped the young man up.
"I know…still, I don't think I'll be beating you anytime soon?"
"Never say never, Stoppable-San. Today's defeat could be Tomorrow's Victory," Sensei said as he walked towards them.
"As for today on the other hand…I'll mark that as a solid 10 in the butt whooping," Ron joked as he rubbed his backside. "But why do I need to use a weapon? Kim and I don't use them on our missions. Most of her villains are kind of sad really…except Shego, I think if she went Solo no one could stop her," he said as Master Sensei shook his head.
"I am aware of Miss Possible's aversion to weaponry, Stoppable-San, and I respect her decision…" Sensei said as he placed his arms behind his back. "However, your victory over the one you call Drakken has caused a ripple effect…one I cannot fully see…" he said as Ron raised a brow.
"Wait…What do you mean?" he asked as the old man looked to the sky.
"I cannot see the future, Stoppable-San…but I am attuned to the nature and energies of the world…that night was supposed to play out differently. But destinies have diverted…and new pathways have been opened…"
"So…something else was supposed to happen? Like Kim stopping the invasion?" Ron asked as he grew annoyed. "That must've ruined her night…if I see Drakken again, I'm decking him harder next time," he growled slightly, as Master Sensei shook his head.
"Once again, I cannot be certain. The future is like a river, constantly shifting and changing with the ebb and flow of the universe. Events may have played out differently, some are set in stone. While others bend to choices made. And the choices made that night have shifted into uncertain waters…so you must be prepared for whatever comes, Stoppable-San." he advised as Ron stared at the man before nodding.
"Yes Sensei…but hey, it's not like it would be the end of the world?" he said as he went back to training with Yori, as the old man stroked his beard and looked to the sky.
"We shall see Stoppable-San…we shall see…"
Hours Later - Ron's Room
Ron collapsed onto the floor as he groaned. The sun had begun to set as he had run the course for over five hours. Each time he thought he'd memorised the course a new surprise would pop out at every turn. Then along with the practice with Yori, the study sessions and the
"I think…I can hear…my bones breaking…" he groaned into the tatami floor as he let his body collapse from exhaustion. Suddenly he heard a small knock on his door as he turned his head to see the silhouette of Yori. "Come in…" he said as Yori entered the room.
"Evening Stoppable-San, Sensei told me to check up on you. It would seem you had a very productive day."
"That's an understatement, but at least I've got these nice hard floors to come back to…" he sarcastically replied as Yori chuckled.
"Oh Stoppable-San, you and your American-style jokes. Surely you will sleep much more comfortably on your Shikibuton?"
"...my what?"
"Your Shikibuton or as you Americans would call it a 'Futon'. The one in the closet, I am surprised you haven't set it up yet," she answered as she walked over to the closet and opened the shutter revealing the futon mattress folded up.
"Wait, I have a closet?... I have a futon?... What's Shikibuton?" he asked as she raised a brow.
"You do not know what a Shikibuton is?" she asked as Ron shook his head. He would've made up a lie to say he knew what a Futon was, but his body was in too much pain to even lie. "It is a traditional mattress that you place on the floor. I assumed you knew about this?"
"What!? No! I didn't know about this! You mean to tell me this whole time I slept on the floor for nothing! Even when I was here before!? Aw man!" he groaned as he fell back onto the ground.
"I shall set it up for you," Yori chuckled as she placed the futon down and Ron rolled onto the soft mattress.
"...Oh this is heaven~ So much nicer than the floor~" he mumbled into the pillow as Yori chuckled at him. "So, other than making me realise I spent two weeks here on the wooden floor for nothing, what else did you come in for?" he asked as Yori held up a small medical kit.
"Sensei wanted me to make sure your body wouldn't be too sore for tomorrow's training. Here at Yamanouchi, we have many traditional and modern methods to relieve the body of fatigue and stress. If you would like I can provide them for you," she explained as Ron nodded.
"Sure…I'll take anything at this point…" Yori nodded and set down her kit.
"Okay, please remove the top half of your Gi for me," she asked as Ron blinked.
"...What?"
"Please remove the top half of your Gi. I need to apply the cold patches directly on the areas of discomfort, your Gi will only get in the way," she instructed as Ron gulped slightly. He had never taken off his clothes in front of a woman before. Lost his pants accidentally yes, but never deliberately. This was a whole new experience for him.
"O-Okay," he stuttered slightly as he sat up and began to remove the top section of his gi, bruises already formed on his body as well as red welts.
"You have trained hard today, this should relieve the pain…" She grabbed out a small jar, pressed her fingers in and applied a small green paste onto his back. He jumped slightly as the paste touched his skin. "This balm is known to accelerate the healing properties of the human body."
"I-It's a bit cold," Ron shivered before he sighed in relief. "But it feels really good…" he moaned as he reached into her touch.
"I'm glad to hear that. It means the balm is working, along with a series of pressure points I've been stimulating along your body. You should be all fixed up by tomorrow."
"Thanks, Yori…" The pair sat in silence as she applied the paste to his sores, his muscles soothing at her touch. In the silence, Ron was able to look over his progress but stumbled upon a question that kept bugging him. "Hey Yori?" She continued to treat his injuries while also looking at him as he glanced from over his shoulder. "Do you think I can do this? This training. It's supposed to be super hard and I've never really pushed myself like this before…do you think I can make it?" he asked her as she nodded. "But why? Is it because of the Mystical Monkey Stuff?" she shook her head at this.
"No, from the moment I met you Stoppable-San, I could tell you have a powerful spirit dwelling within you. You may see yourself as a 'slacker', but I see more than that. I see a soul that is brimming with potential and a heart that is pure, brave and kind…" she told him as Ron shook his head.
"...But I wasn't…when the Lotus blade was stolen by Monkey-Fist I didn't go after it. You volunteered in my place. Then you got captured and nearly killed…all because of me, not exactly brave am I?" he admitted with shame as she shook her head.
"But you did come and rescue me. You proved that you are not only brave but kind as well. You saved me, and showed your true strength that day," she told him as he stared at her before she finished the last of the healing. "Get some rest Stoppable-San, you will need it for tomorrow."
"Hey…Yori?" she stopped and turned to him as he nodded. "Thanks…that helps…not just the healing but…everything else…thank you," she smiled back as she nodded.
"Any time, Stoppable-San," she closed the door as Ron was left alone with his thoughts, feeling a bit more relieved, before he lay down in the comfort of the futon.
"...Oh yeah, this is so much more comfortable than the floor…"
A Week Later - Yamanouchi Meditation Gardens
Master Sensei was in a meditative pose, with Ron sitting before him as the pair practised the art of meditation. Since his little experience with confronting the conflicts of his heart, Ron had taken a liking to the meditation sessions. It allowed him to calm his mind, and find focus on the tasks he had to perform.
So far he felt that he was slowly improving in the three weeks since he arrived. It wasn't as quickly as he liked, but he felt himself improving with each step he took. But as he marked the progress of his growth, he started to drift to the other factors of his life. Such as the future dynamics of his friendship with Kim. His standing as a member of Team Possible. What he was going to do after College, would he be able to get into College?
It wasn't like he didn't have options. He wasn't looking to go into some sort of academic field like Kim. He never could imagine himself sitting behind a desk from 9 to 5. He wagered he would have a more active career, one that gave him certain freedoms to do what he wanted. After his culinary skills were discovered he was tempted by the idea of becoming a chef. He always loved cooking when he was a child, he had a rather successful career as the school's chef. It was the only time he enjoyed doing something he was good at. There was also his Naco idea that earned him a whopping 99 million Dollars in Naco Royalties. Of course, he had squandered that money pretty quickly. Thankfully after the last time, his parents took control of his Royalties and placed them into investment and trust accounts until he could prove he was more mature to handle that kind of cash. Hey, he invented revolutionary culinary food. Of course, he'd still get royalties for it. So money wasn't an issue for him. And he had an idea of what he wanted to do as a career. But honestly, he did not care about it now. Right now he had to figure out what he was going to do about missions with Kim.
They had been doing missions ever since they got Team Impossibles Mission by mistake. They had been through some of the most dangerous, death-defying and potentially fatal missions no one their age should've been exposed to. Yet each time they came out victorious. They had built up a somewhat career for doing the Impossible and saving the world while making sure they did their homework on time. Yet, was that going to last for them?
Looking at it objectively, it wasn't something he saw Kim doing for the rest of her life. It's not like she asked for it in the first place, it was all a spur-of-the-moment from an accidental typo. At the Job Expo, she was keen to find a career that didn't involve her kicking bad guys and stopping doomsday devices. If it hadn't been for that typo, maybe they would've never gotten into the whole crazy thing. Yet, Ron couldn't deny the good they did for the world. Kim was 'the girl who could do anything', she was an icon, a role model, someone who had confidence in their ability to risk life and limb to protect others. Yet there were times he had seen her struggle with wanting to just fit in and be a normal teenager and worry about teenage stuff rather than which wire of the 'Villain of the Week's' Doomsday Device to cut. He thought back to Prom Night and how close Drakken was to taking over the world. He nearly ruined what was supposed to be the one night Kim could feel like a normal teenager. Seeing what the Diablos were capable of, he didn't even know if Kim could win that time.
Maybe Drakken would've succeeded and Kim could've…
He had to shake himself of those thoughts as he assured himself that wouldn't happen. Because he managed to find a way to save the world without Kim having to come in and save his butt. But that night had also opened his eyes, and he realised that he needed to step up more, and take on more responsibility from Kim's shoulders. Stand beside her as not her sidekick, but her partner. Her Equal and maybe even someone to take her place should there come a point that Kim might not be able to save the world, or she one day retire from being a Hero altogether and settle down for a quiet life with… Eric… he grumbled at the thought.
"Something troubling you, Stoppable-San?" Ron snapped out of his meditation as he looked over to Master Sensei hovering in his meditative position.
"Oh, sorry Master Sensei. I was just… thinking…"
"About your mission relationship with Miss Possible?" Ron had to blink before sighing.
"…You know it's a little creepy when you do that?" All he got was a chuckle from the old man. "But yeah… I was just thinking about what's going to happen when I go home, more about when I go on missions with Kim. You know how she and I do missions that help save the world."
"Yes, I have seen the news. We aren't savages," Sensei pointed to the Satellite TV Dish as Ron blinked.
"Oh…right…anyway I like to think it's because of us that the world hasn't fallen under mad schemes or insane plots. I mean yeah there are other Heroes out there. Like those in New York? But we've done so much good, it makes me feel good knowing we make a difference. But I don't know if it's going to be the same when I get back. It's not like I can go back to being the sidekick. Kim said that she'd never replace me on the team, and no way she'd put 'Golden Boy Eric' in danger. He's become a big part of her life now, and she only met him a few weeks ago. But the whole point of my coming here was to discover what I could do and what my life would be like when Kim was not around. Which means stepping up more as equals. But how is that going to affect us later?" he paused as he looked to the West where Middleton lay. "I keep thinking about what makes Kim happy, and the happiest I saw her was on surveillance footage dancing with… urgh… Eric…" he grumbled at the name again.
"…Kim loves helping people, it is part of who she is. But I think she also wants to help them in other ways. Like a Normal Person. Doing jobs that don't involve her having to fight bad guys and henchmen, like a Humanitarian or an Aid Worker? Her parents advance scientific discoveries and save lives on operating tables. Her grandmother even served in the military! I think. She did complete an Underwater Demolition course?" he scratched his head. "But anyway. Kim has so much potential, living by the family creed of 'Anything is Possible for a Possible'. But what if one day she decides to retire from being a Hero? Get a normal job and settle down with… Eric… who will take up the reins?" he shook his head before sighing.
"And you believe you should step into Miss Poissibles shoes," he asked Ron nodded. "May I ask, why?" Ron paused for a moment before sighing.
"…I want her to be happy," he answered truthfully. "Looking into myself, I've come to realise that her happiness is all that matters to me. So if that means I have to step up and shoulder more of her burden so she can live a happy life. Let her have the life she wants, the life she deserves and if one day Eric makes her happier…then that's what I'm going to do…" Yori listened from afar as she gripped her fists. While Sensei merely listened before nodding.
"…A noble goal. But life is like a river, Stoppable-san. It ebbs and flows in many directions, twisting and turning around every bend and corner with little control. We cannot fully predict what will come of our choices, only live with the consequences. But that doesn't mean you have to deny yourself happiness for Miss Possible." Yori perked up along with Ron. "You are allowed to find happiness outside of fulfilling another's. Your life and your happiness are just as important as your friends. Be there for her, shield her and protect her when you must. But do not let yourself be neglected. A wall improperly maintained is destined to crumble."
"…you know I don't understand all your metaphors, right?" The old man had to chuckle at him.
"Just something to think on. Now, I believe it is time to return to your training… isn't that right, Yori?" He called out as the girl jumped slightly but schooled herself as she made herself known.
"Yes, Master-Sensei." She bowed as Ron looked between the two before shrugging and following her.
"…He has confronted the conflict of his heart. But his eyes are still clouded by the future he could achieve. This was not how things were supposed to go… but like the river, we must flow. No matter the outcome…" the old man sighed as he left the garden. Hoping to guide the Monkey Master to his destiny. Lest he fall into Darkness.
Meanwhile - the Coco Banana
Kim sighed as she looked over the multiple amounts of new clothing. It was 25% off on Coco Banna's New Designs, and she needed the distraction. It had only been a week since Ron went off to Japan and she already missed the routines they used to do. Hang out at Bueno Nacho, Go to the movies or just laze about on a Friday Night watching bad movies. Sure, she had Eric in her life and he was as romantic as ever. Taking her to romantic dinners walks in the parks and being a general 'couple', but it wasn't the same as hanging out with her best friend.
Ron was her best friend since Pre-K. They had done practically everything together. Sure she had dated before, and those relationships would either become rocky. But Ron used to be the constant factor in her life. What helped her feel like a normal teen? But ever since Eric arrived, and Prom things had changed. Ron was starting to move away from her, trying to find his place in the world. She was proud of him for finally taking the initiative to improve himself. But she still missed him and it did leave her questioning…
What was her life going to be without Ron Stoppable in her life?
"Apparently…very lonely…" Kim muttered to herself as she looked through the cargo pants.
"Hey Kim, are you doing okay?" Monique leaned over the stand as Kim sighed.
"Yeah…sort of"
"What's wrong girl?"
"…Ron's only been gone two weeks and I miss him. Strangely, I never felt like this before. But after Prom and Eric and his 'meltdown' with Bonnie last week. It's kind of mixed things up. Like I don't know what's going on anymore with Ron, why he decided to go away to Japan of all places, and him saying…" she trailed off as the small heartache returned.
"Finding out what life will be like without you in his?" Monique finished as Kim nodded. "Well, I think this will be a good thing for him. I like Ron, he's a nice guy and fun to hang out with. But the boy needed to grow up, we'll be starting Senior year next year. He can't be stuck in the old pattern he's been used to," Monique reasoned as Kim nodded.
"I know…but did he have to go all the way to Japan for that?" Kim argued as Monqie raised a brow at this.
"Is it because he's in Japan that's got you all confused…or the fact he's near her?" she asked as Kim glared.
"This has nothing to do with Yori," she stressed through her teeth with a hint of jealousy. "Ron's just…studying is all," Monique didn't know about the Ninja School so she had to be careful with her words.
"Mhmm…if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're jelling," she smirked as Kim shook her head.
"I'm not jelling, Monique. In case you've forgotten I'm in a very happy relationship with Eric. There is no reason for me to be 'Jelling' as you call it," Kim argued as she inspected the clothes.
"Just because you're in a relationship doesn't mean you can't be Jelling," Monique countered as Kim glared at her.
"Well when you get a boyfriend, Monique, then you can comment on my love life," she rebutted as Monique glared.
"...Okay that was a low blow girl, but I'll let it slide. Look, my point is, Ron's being a big boy and stepping up. He wants to improve, and you should support him. Sure the wording he used was kind of harsh, but it's not exactly wrong. I've only been here two years, and I already know that you two were tight. But…friendships don't stay close forever. Sure you can remain friends and try to keep contact, but at some point, you two will have to split apart. Ron can't be relying on you anymore. He needs to stand alone for a while." she said as Kim stared before sighing at her.
"I know…you're right, I just wish I could've been the one to help him," she said as Monique nodded.
"Okay, enough about Potential Boy, and start talking. How's it feel dating the Hot guy and watching Bonnie getting so mad?" she asked as Kim had to smile and chuckle at that.
"It's satisfying, I'm not going to lie, and Eric is so amazing! He takes me on dates, walks in the parks, all very romantic…however…" she trailed off as Monique raised a brow.
"However, what?"
"After Prom, he's been kind of… different… he still treats me right, and he's romantic on our dates. But, he doesn't share anything about his own life. He listens to hours about mine, the missions I've done and my family's interests and hobbies… But I barely know anything about Eric. I tried to ask what his father does, and he says he can't because his father is 'going through some difficulty' at the moment. I won't push, but I wish he would open up a bit more," she said as Monique glared for a moment.
"Hmmm….that does sound odd. But guys don't tend to open up around girls, they're stubborn like that. I'm sure he'll open up eventually, just give him time. But if that boy hurts your feelings, I will give him a smackdown he will never forget!" she shadowboxed haphazardly as Kim chuckled.
"I appreciate it, Monique, but I'm sure it will be fine. We've got another date planned tomorrow," she said as Monique raised a brow.
"Not one tonight?"
"No, he says he has to fix something at his father's business. I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Kim reassured as they went back to looking for the right clothes for the date.
Drakken's Mountain Lair - Currently Decommissioned
Before the events of Operation Prom Night, Drakken had used one of his mountain lairs to conduct his research into perfecting his plans for the Little Diablo and finding the weakness of his arch-enemy Kim Possible. The base had been abandoned since they moved their operations to the Beuno Nacho's Headquarters for the final phase of the project. However, with the failure of Operation Prom Night and Global Justice Seizing and Confiscating all the Little Diablos, the base had been left well enough alone. Thus it made it the perfect start for Eric to begin his operations for his quest to destroy Kim Possible.
Eric's hands clawed into the door as he pulled the metal doors apart. He looked around the dust-filled and cobweb-covered lair. Bits and pieces of their research into 'Teenage Minds' still littered about as Eric glared.
"Pathetic…" he grumbled as he walked in. "No wonder the moron could never take over the world if he focused so much on beating a teenage girl," he moved towards one of the central computers as he reactivated the backup generators. "Generator is still running at least…power flow is nominal… However, Kim and her little hacker friend managed to find this location the last time… site is compromised, and will need to relocate… the idiots didn't even fully scrub all the hard drives. That's what you get when you hire morons from the web…" Eric typed on the computer as he looked through the files marked 'Operations Prom Night'.
A lot of it was one of the modifications made to himself, the 900 series of Synthodrones. Designed to mimic a normal human and infiltrate Kim Possible's life. However, while there had been modifications made to his facial appearances and behaviour modules, he was still essentially similar to his 800 siblings. He was structurally vulnerable to sharp objects and risked being decommissioned by a single puncture wound to any part of his body. Even his foot.
"Improvements. What a joke, I'm a Ken Doll filled with goo…" Eric snarled. "If I plan to defeat Kim Possible, upgrades will need to be made…" Eric noted as he typed on the computer. "Solving the solidification process is a must, I can't be defeated by a mere prick to the skin," he started looking into locations that held potential solutions. "
The Plan did have merit 'Father' but it lacked true vision…or real genius," he pulled out a hard drive and started to download all the data he needed. Access to Drakkens Funds, Locations for possible Lairs, Synthodrone Schematics, and operating systems for the Little Diablo Drones.
"You won't be needing those anymore…" he smirked as he looked at the large figures being poured into an offsite account. He then pulled up the schematics for the Drones as he glanced over them. "The Drones are capable but have a glaring weakness. They will need to be modified to succeed. I will need to reacquire the Hephaestus Schematics from the main base… but more than likely Global Justice has them secured in their headquarters…" Eric surmised as he glanced over to the news footage of Global Justice cleaning up the Destroyed Bueno Nachos headquarters.
"...I'm in no rush. It will take time to set up a new location, and I will need to find an… appropriate face to get inside…" Eric smirked as he started to formulate his master plan.
He then noticed the files marked 'Kim Possible Surveillance', as he pulled up all the files Drakken's men had managed to secure. Everything that was needed to deceive Kim Possible was already in his head. But this also provided alternative means that Drakken was too chicken-footed to try due to 'Ethical and Moral Dilemmas'. But he was a Synthodrone…he didn't have the same dilemmas that Drakken possessed. He glared at the image of Kim before his fist struck one of the Monitors. He hated her. He was made to deceive her. He was made to fool her. He was made to defeat her…
But now… he would be the one to kill her…
Eric finished the downloads as he activated the base's Self-Destruct systems. He didn't need anyone catching on to what he was planning. The alarms went off as Eric left the base, large explosions rocked the facility as Eric boarded one of Shego's jets and flew off towards Middleton. He had the schematics, he had the funds.
Now he just needed the resources and the means to enact his plan to take over the world and destroy Kim Possible once and for all.
And Scene. Here is Chapter IV of Path of the Shinobi. Sorry for the long wait, a lot of things have been going on. Considering rewrites, a cyclone caused some flooding down here in Australia. I'm fine by the way, nothing to worry about. But I'm happy to report that I am still working on my stories, they just take time. Like my Spi-Deku Story and my RWBY stories that are currently under my review to consider either continuing or rewriting. But I am also going to try and work on this story as well as I want to continue the idea of if Eric had never been uncovered. What the story might've played out as and how everyone will react to these changes.
Now, the next chapter will focus more on his training and a fan idea of mine about the origins of the Mystical Monkey Powers. We still don't know a lot about the MMP, only that it gives the user a boost of power and access to Tai Shing Pek Kwar. But when fully mastered it also gives Ron an energy shroud, similar to Naruto's One Tail transformation. Reference? You be the judge. But I have an idea I plan to give Ron that I hope will make sense.
As for Eric, I will also focus on his rogue AI as it plots in the shadows to bring about his 'vision' of world domination. Drakken cannot program a symentic can he? He will find ways to make himself stronger, observe his enemies, evaluate his potential allies and threats and act accordingly. I hope to make Eric a worthy Villain for Ron to face off against. Once again sorry for the delay and hope to stay tuned for the next installment in…
Chapter V: Preparations and Improvements