Kim Possible: Season Four - Chapter Four

4. School's Out?

Students bustled in the halls of Middleton High School as they made their way to their lockers or their classes. The routine was interrupted by yelling emanating from the front office as teenagers scattered to avoid being pulled in.

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“Stoppable!” Mr. Barkin growled nostrils flaring. “The science lab is in shambles. Explain!”

Ron stood before the vice-principal and impossibly the teacher of every class Ron had. The messy haired blonde stared blankly back at Mr. Barkin. Each of them was covered in bits of cheese and popcorn. Ron looked around for help but only caught a glance from Gladys, the school secretary. Seeing this scenario many times before, she returned to entering grades into the computer. Ron searched the ceiling trying to remember exactly what had happened...

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Each station in the science lab was filled by a student or two wearing goggles and a rubber apron. Ron was in his usual spot in the corner as Rufus donned his own set of goggles. Barkin stood in the middle explaining about the heating and mixing chemicals.

Keeping one eye on Barkin, Ron pulled out a bag of unpopped popcorn. Rufus produced a large chunk of cheese.

“Time for some real science, buddy,” Ron said slyly to his naked mole rat.

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Barkin loomed closer and closer to Ron as he backpedaled. The heat had gotten too much for Gladys and she slipped out of the office.

“Stoppable,” Mr. Barkin said enraged. “I don’t know if I have a punishment suitable for you this time...”

Ron had now backed all the way up to the computer the secretary had been working on. As he place his hand on the keyboard to brace himself, the next student whose grades were to be entered appeared: Possible, Kimberly A.

“I’m actually gonna have to think about what about what I’m going to do to you,” Barkin continued almost nose to nose with Ron. Ron’s hand squirmed on the keys as his pinky finger ever so slightly grazed the ‘delete’ key.

“But rest assured, Stoppable, it will be most unpleasant,” Barkin said as he stood tall and with a growl left the room. All Ron could manage was a nervous gulp as his hand scraped across the keyboard knicking the ‘enter’ key. The screen flashed with a spinning hour glass before pulling up the next student to be entered. Ron slumped as he slid out of the room. Gladys, noticing the commotion was over, took her seat and looked out the screen. Without hesitating, she continued with the next student unaware of the error that had occurred.

Ron hit the hallway just as Kim turned the corner and spotted him. Her look went from immediate joy to utter confusion as she caught up with him.

“Ron, why are you covered in cheese and popcorn?” she asked.

“Um, well, let’s just say cooking with a Bunsen burner is not a good idea,” Ron replied as he pointed into the science lab. Kim looked to see a thick layer of cheese oozing over everything.

“I’m assuming you’ve got some quality time with Mr. Barkin in your future,” Kim said sympathetically. “What’s he gonna do to you?”

“He hasn’t thought of anything yet,” Ron said dejected. Kim gasped as she realized that Ron was going to face something particularly unpleasant.

“Well, before you’re sent to your doom, you can at least help me judge tryouts for next year’s squad,” Kim said as she took his hand. “I need you to counteract Bonnie for me.”

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Kim and Ron entered the Possible home loaded with their cheerleading and mascot gear and set it all down in hallway. It was late in the afternoon and the rest of the Possible clan was already home. The phone rang and Kim scrambled to get it before being cut off by her father.

“I got this, I’m expecting an important call,” he said grabbing the phone and heading into the other room.

“I think next year’s squad is going to boo-yahliscious,” Ron said with flair.

“Boo-yahliscious?” Kim retorted.

“Just trying it out, K.P.,” Ron stated as he did his best to look cool. “Gotta keep my material fresh.”

“All I know is that those girls are going to need a lot of work this summer,” she said with a sigh.

“Hey, those new girls had some moves.”

“Ron, you gave the girl who did the ‘Macarana’ as her routine a ten,” she replied sarcastically.

“I thought she had potential,” Ron defended. “Besides, you told me to do the opposite of whatever Bonnie voted.”

Kim opened her mouth to speak but stopped when she realized that there was no point in explaining her intent after the fact. She had not given him parameters to work in for judging and the Ron-factor showed up in full force. Kim decided to change the subject.

“Are you gonna stay for dinner or you gonna hit the lab for another round of ‘popcheese’?” Kim asked.

“Oh, I think you know the answer is a ‘yes’ and ‘popcheese’ is going to be the next great snack food,” Ron said indignantly. “As soon as I figure out how to make it.”

“Actually, I think it’s best if Ronald went home,” Mr. Dr. Possible said standing in the doorway arms crossed and face stern. The phone was still clutched firmly in his hand. Mrs. Dr. Possible stood next to him with a look of concern. “We need to have a talk with Kim.”

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Kim felt smaller than Rufus as she sat next to her parents. Mr. Barkin reached into his desk pulling a file and thumbing through it. Kim summoned as much courage as she could and broke the silence.

“Obviously, there’s been some sort of mistake,” Kim squeaked. Barkin grunted a bit as he shifted in his chair.

“Unlikely. There hasn’t been a mistake in the grading system since we went computerized,” Barkin sneered.

“This is ferociously unfair,” Kim pouted. Her parents scolded her with their eyes and she quickly calmed down.

“Isn’t there some sort of paper record to look at?” Mrs. Dr. Possible asked.

“We toss it out when we’re through with it,” Mr. Barkin replied. “That’s why we got the computer.”

“How convenient,” Kim muttered.

“Unfortunetly, I’m bound by the rules here. The record says you didn’t do the work, so we have to treat you accordingly.”

“Okay, then, what are Kim’s options?” Mr. Dr. Possible asked hopefully.

“First, there’s summer school...,” Barkin stated before being cutoff.

“Summer school! No way.” Kim objected. Mr. Barkin thought a bit before giving a reply.

“Well, there’s one week left to the end of school. If you can make up all the work in that time, you can avoid summer school,” Barkin stated firmly. Kim closed her eyes and took a deep breath weighing the options.

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“Whoa, Kim, mondo bueno solution!” Ron exclaimed as he walked Kim up the path towards her house. He had a handful of Kim’s books while she carried an equally large stack. Kim looked suddenly hopeful. “Get Wade to hack into school’s computer and change your grades back!” Kim’s look of hope faded.

“That would reek of suspicion, Ron,” Kim replied. “I’m in enough trouble here without adding cheating to the record. Speaking of trouble, has Barkin handed down your sentence yet?”

“Nope,” Ron said slyly. “But I was talking to my ‘sources’,” Ron said before being cut off by Kim.

“The two guys in the cafeteria?” Kim asked mockingly. Ron looked annoyed.

“K.P., ‘sources’ sounds way cooler and yes. They said if Barkin doesn’t do anything before the summer, I’m free. All I have to do is avoid Barkin for a week and I’m golden.”

“Um, how can you avoid Mr. Barkin when he’s still teaching all your classes?”

“Oh, Kim of little faith,” Ron said feigning drama. “The Ron-man is one step ahead.”

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Mr. Barkin stood at the front of the class reading from a textbook putting many students to sleep-others bored out of their minds.

“...now the author was obviously using the caterpillar to emphasized the struggle between life and death. New guy...wouldn’t you agree?”

All eyes that were awake shot to a young man who looked like a young Juan Valdez in a pancho and a sombraro. A small pink rodent with a feed bag and donkey ears sat disgruntled on his shoulder.

“Si!” Ron exclaimed in a terrible Hispanic accent muffled by the unmoving lips of the mask he was wearing.

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Kim and Ron had spread out their massive pile of school work in the Possible’s living room. Ron looked disinterested as his eyes were tempted by the television. Kim furiously scribbled on page after page.

Beep-beep. Ba-beep. The Kimunicator chirped Kim quickly grabbing it.

“What’s the inconveniently timed sitch, Wade?” Kim sighed as she answered.

“Hey, Kim. Heard about the grade mix-up. You know, I can get in there and ‘fix things’,” the tech guru said with a wink. Kim caught the suspicious glare of her mother in the doorway.

“Thank, but no thanks. Gonna have to do this the old fashioned way,” Kim said.

“Well, if you feel like taking a break, our favorite pair of super villains are on the loose again.”

“Drakken and Shego,” Kim said as her eyes narrowed. “What are they up to?”

“Does it really matter anymore? If you guys foil them again, Drakken and Shego move to the top of the list of all time most failed super villains,” Wade said proudly.

“Well, let’s not keep the record books waiting. Ron, let’s...,” Kim began before being cut off.

“Kimmie,” her mother said softly as she moved into the room. “I don’t think you have time for a mission.”

“Mom, if I don’t go after Drakken and Shego, who will?” Kim retorted.

“Well, I can think of somebody capable...,” Mrs. Dr. Possible said looking over Kim’s shoulder. Kim turned to see Ron with his head tilted to the ceiling. His tongue squeezed out of his lips and his brow was furrowed in concentration. He held a sharpened pencil over his nose attempting to balance it. Kim snapped back to her mother.

“Okay, maybe if it was just Drakken, but there is no way I’m sending Ron up against Shego by himself!” Kim declared. Ron snapped into the conversation with a “Huh, wha?” as the pencil fell to the floor.

“Kim,” Wade interrupted. “He doesn’t have to go alone.” As he finished, the doorbell rang. Kim, her mother, and Ron all eyed each cautiously before heading to the door. Kim swung the door open and found--nothing.

“Wade?” Kim asked eyebrow raised. No sooner had she finished than did the stealthy silhouette of the Wadebot fill itself in. It’s creator’s face filled its screen, more than pleased with himself. At first glance, it looked like the standard Wadebot, but it did not take Kim or Ron long to notice that it no longer had tank treads; it was hovering.

“I think Wadebot 3.0 is ready for a road test,” Wade proudly stated.

“Why would you need to road test it?” Ron asked jumping on the back of the vehicle. “It’s a hover craft.” Mrs. Dr. Possible placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder.

“What do you say, Kim?” her mother asked. Kim scowled with her arms crossed. She was being forced to make a choice that wasn’t really a choice. She looked at Ron who was doing his best version of the puppy dog pout, but it looked too awkward to ever elicit sympathy.

“Please, K.P.?” he pleaded. Kim grumbled under her breath.

“Fine,” she conceded. “But be careful.”

“Boyah!” Ron and Rufus exclaimed. Ron held his hand in the air as Wade controlled his robot to slap it. Ron grimaced on contact and eeped an “Ow.”

The Wadebot 3.0 cruised along the side of the mountains high above Middleton as it approached the top secret research facility. Ron and Rufus hung tightly to the back of the craft in mission gear and helmets. The computer screen turned around to face a clearly ecstatic Ron.

“Looks like a run of the mill technology heist,” Wade reported as he punched up the stream of the security video. Ron could see Dr. Drakken checking items off of a list and picking up various items in the lab. Shego wandered behind her pushing a small hover cart with a few complex looking gadgets already in its basket.

“Seems to be a ‘hover’ theme going today,” Ron mused.

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“Shego!” Drakken yelled despite the green clad woman being three feet away. Irritated at his unnecessary outburst, Shego grabbed his lips and clamped them shut.

“You know in some places, it’s actually okay to control the volume of your VOICE!” she barked into his ear. Shego released her boss as he rubbed his sore lips and scowled at her. With a grunt he picked up an object from the counter and held it up.

“Does this look like a sonic pulse disrupter to you?” he asked.

“No, it looks like a blender. We taking over the world with evil smoothies this time?”

Dr. Drakken looked down to see a ‘Blend-o-Matic 3000’ in his hands. He quickly slammed it down and picked a more sinister looking device and examined it closely before handing it to Shego.

“Close enough,” he said flatly as he scribbled on his list. Dr. Drakken continued on past a floating blue orb that caught Shego’s attention. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity and soon raised her hand to touch it.

“This looks interesting. What’s it do?” she asked. Drakken quickly turned and pushed her hand away.

“Don’t touch that,” he snapped as Shego recoiled not in fear but in shock that he had been bold enough to swat at her. “It’s a micro experimental fusion containment field.” Drakken’s sidekick mulled over the various insults she could use.

“How much of that did you just make up?” she snorted.

“None of it. If the field is unstabalized in anyway, it could blow us to tiny little nano pieces.”

“Then you should probably keep that away from me. ‘Cause I like me in the regular size pieces,” a familiar voice declared. The two villains spun to face Ron Stoppable stepping out of the shadows. Rufus was on his shoulder battle ready. Wasting no time, Shego leapt across the floor and cut the distance between herself and Ron in half and instinctively waited for Kim’s counter move.

“So Kim Possible and the baffoon are here,” Drakken snarled.

“Nope! Just the baffoon!” Ron declared proudly. A smug look filled his face as his chest puffed out.

“What? You mean your little girlfriend was too busy for her arch foes?” Shego asked in disbelief.

“She had homework,” Ron stated dryly. “Lots and lots of homework.” The snarl on Shego’s lips grew as she turned back to Dr. Drakken.

“You see what I mean by us losing respect in the community?” she jabbed. “They’re only sending the sidekicks after us now!” Drakken stuck his nose in the air in protest not willing to concede the point to her when he suddenly caught sight of a laser like contraption. He pulled his list out and check over it, then looked back at the object. The evil smile widened across his face.

“Well, at least I can get some respect back by tearing you to...” Shego started before her sub conscience connected a couple dots and threw up a red flag. “Wait a minute! Timeout! I made a crack about Possible being your girlfriend and you didn’t wig out!”

The smug look dropped from Ron’s face as his eyes darted searching for an answer.

“Well..., yeah..., so...?” was all he could manage.

“But, you always get defensive and wig out when I say something like that.”

“I so do not!” Ron shot back.

“Okay, now you’re getting defensive about not being defensive,” Shego retorted before IT finally hit her. The villainess gasped in shock. “You... and princess... are actually...dating!” When Ron could give no response but a half-hearted smile, Shego’s laughter uncorked as she bent over in a fit of hysteria.

“That is the most disgustingly hysterical thing I have ever heard. When did you two...,” she began but the air she needed to finish her barb was driven from her body as a boot buried itself in her abdomen. Flatting against the floor, her eyes opened long enough to see Stoppable leaping off of her and high into the air.

Dr. Drakken was sprinting towards his prize before being intercepted by a blonde haired blur. Drakken screeched to a halt as Ron stared him down.

“Seen an evil genius around here?” Ron mocked. The blue villain backed up in panic.

“Shego!” he shrieked. “How did the sidekick get moves?” Ron softened his fighting stance.

“Hey, I’ve always had moves.”

“Well, now you’re actually using them and its freaking me out!”

“Yeah, it’s kinda scaring me too...”

Distracted by his aside with Drakken, Ron grimaced as a pair of black and green hands grabbed him and lifted him off his feet. He was face to face with a snarling and viscous faced Shego.

“Okay, now this is more like it,” Ron quipped sheepishly.

“Sidekicks should know their place, right?” Shego growled savoring the words she had longed to throw back at the boy. Ron’s terror shifted slightly to a guileful smile.

“Couldn’t agree with you more,” he said as Shego felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to see--nothing--before a sharp pain ripped into her jaw. Dropping Ron, she stumbled back and try to see where the attack had come from. The Wadebot filled itself in out of stealth mode ready to fight. Wade wore an intense face on the bot’s screen.

“I work so much, I almost forgot how fun video games are,” Wade said gripping his controller. With determination, he slid a battle visor over his eyes. Shego flashed contempt towards the contraption and the image of its owner. She rubbed her jaw a bit before setting her feet. Casting her fists outward, they enveloped in green plasma.

“And I almost forgot how much fun it is smashing good guys,” she fired back before charging at Wade’s mech.

Wasting no time with Team Possible distracted, Drakken scooped the silvery laser off of its pedestal and cackled. Ron moved his eyes from Wade and Shego’s battle to see Drakken clutching the laser. Ron grabbed Rufus from the floor and stood up.

“Doin’ this one on the fly, Rufus,” Ron ordered to his naked mole rat. Rufus dutifully saluted and readied himself. Ron reared back and launched the pink rodent towards Drakken who held the laser like device over his head.

“Finally, with the neural harmonic distributor, it is I, Dr. Drakken, who will...” the wild-eyed baddy ranted. His speech was cut short as a hairless pink blob smacked into his face. Drakken was sent backward onto the counter behind him as the laser flew up in the air. Before it could meet an untimely demise with the cold tiled floor, it was cushioned by in the hands of a sliding Ron. Satisfied with his efforts, the blonde jumped to his feet.

“Boo-yah, saved the neural harmonica!” Ron exclaimed as Rufus scampered to his friend’s shoulder mission accomplished. “What’s it do?” Ron didn’t have long to figure it out as two tiny gloved hands latched on to it and tried to yank it away.

“It’s a ‘neural harmonic distributor’ and crucial to my plan!” Dr. Drakken grinded through his teeth as he and Ron locked into a shoving match over the device.

“So, you don’t know what it does, either?” Ron asked playfully. Drakken mashed his teeth harder letting out a growl and yanking hard.

“Just give it here.”

“Don’t think so.” Ron pulled back and the tussled over the distributor went comically physical. Each slapped and kicked at the other tugging the device back and forth. Rufus waited for his moment and seeing the opening, landed on the evil genius’s hand and bit--hard. With a yelp, Drakken released his grip on the laser and tried to shake away his pain.

It was Ron’s turn to seize on an opening as he hooked his leg around Drakken’s ankle and twisted. Finding himself on the other side of Stoppable, he was too confused to even attempt a block as Ron’s foot caught him square in the back sending him hurdling across the room. A blue glow rushed to cover Drakken’s already blue face before he collided with the pedestal supporting the micro experimental fusion containment field. The blue orb bounced off of his head and rolled to the corner.

“Boo-yah times two!” Ron shouted fist pumping before a blue flash of light forced him to shut his eyes.

High above the lab’s floor, Shego balanced herself on a ledge. Her arms were locked with the Wadebot’s as it hovered upside down above her. The flash of light was strong enough that even Wade had to shield his eyes. Both combatants paused their posturing as Wade noticed what had caused the pulse of light.

“Not the micro experimental fusion containment field!” he stammered.

“You mean Dr. D. wasn’t making it all up?” Shego asked with annoyance. Her intuition clued her in to the sequence of events that was about to take place.

“’Fraid not”

“So that’s bad for us, right?”

“Yep.”

Wade relinquished his robot’s grip on Shego as she did the same. The pulses and flashes of light got stronger as the blue orb had doubled in size. A lighting like ring formed around the surging ball. Shego landed next Drakken who was still on his hands and knees entranced by the sight before him. Grabbing his collar, she yanked him to his feet and blasted a hole in the lab’s wall.

“But the neural harmonic distributor!” Drakken whined as she pulled him through the new made exit.

“But the blue orb of death that’s gonna blast us to tiny pieces!” she retorted in her most condescending of tones.

The Wadebot reoriented itself and swooped down to Ron and Rufus. The pair jumped on to the back of the bot as two jets poked out from the sides the craft.

“Hang on, boys. We’re outa here!” Wade shouted as he rolled the control stick forward. Ron was caught off guard as the full power of the thrusters pushed them upwards. Without thinking, Ron’s hands released the distributor he had fought so hard to save and latched onto to the Wadebot. His eyes darted to the plummeting device smashing in two as it hit the floor.

“Oh! Man! That tanks!” Ron declared as a wave of bitterness and disappointed came over him.

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The golden warmth of the early summer sun that filled the mountain valley was washed away by a blue flash and wave of destruction. From somewhere near the heart of the explosion, the Wadebot rocketed just ahead of the blast’s concussion carrying its two passengers to safety.

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The halls of Middleton High School buzzed with anticipation of the approaching summer vacation. The seconds could not tick by fast enough for the students with one possible exception.

Kim’s backpack was over burdened with books as she walked through the halls. Strands of hair popped out of their normal spot as her shoulders sagged. She chewed a pencil as she tried to focus on a math problem but her sleep deprived eyes struggled to stay open. Ron walked in front of her backwards simultaneously trying to guide her to their destination and hold the trigonometry book open for Kim. His body contorted trying to avoid others walking past them and keep the book steady.

“I still can’t believe I took Drakken and Shego by myself!” Ron declared. Rufus gave an objectionable “Hey!” from Ron’s shoulder.

“Well, I mean without Kim. Couldn’t do it without you, buddy,” he covered.

“That can’t be right,” Kim mumbled.

“Oh, come on! Occasionally Ron Stoppable gets to drink from the well of victory,” he snorted back before noticing that Kim had been referring to her math problem erasing a wrong set of calculations. “K.P., are you even listening to me?”

“Can’t get over stopping Drakken and Shego by yourself and blowing up a billion dollar research facility,” Kim stated with a yawn.

“Kim, we are trying to leave out the part about the lab. Not good for the press release.”

They had reached Kim’s locker but rather than flinging it open, Kim dropped her heavy bag off her back and slid to the floor. She rubbed her temple letting out a deep sigh.

“My brain is fried. I’m stumped,” Kim moaned. Ron looked down at her before taking a look at the problem himself.

“Let me take a crack at it,” he said. His eyes shifted back and forth across the page as he briefly concentrated before slamming the book shut. “Okay, I got nothing.”

“Ron..., be a dear and get...my...English...boo...k...” the redhead trailed off as her head rested against Ron’s leg. He dutifully complied opening the locker. As he rummaged around, Wade popped up in the locker’s computer screen.

“What’s up Ron? Where’s Kim?” Wade asked. Ron looked down to see Kim using his leg as a makeshift pillow and drool catcher. A loud snore clued Wade in on the situation. “Kim only has thirty one hours left till all that work is due. She gonna make it?”

“Not looking good, Wade,” Ron frowned as he turned back to the tech guru. “Everything’s gonna be totally down the toilet if Kim has to go to summer school.”

“No kidding. Anyway, update on the Drakken thing.”

“Fire away.”

“I checked with Global Justice about the record for you.”

“And...?”

“No go. Since you didn’t really foil an ‘evil plan’; just an ‘evil robbery’.”

“Aw, man, more tankage. I wanted that record.”

“Actually, you did manage to set another record on your own.”

“Really? Sweet! What piece of history is now sole property of the Ron-man?”

“Most missions where a lab of lair blew up.”

Ron mulled over the information a moment before grinning widely and shooting “Boo-yah!”

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A thin layer of mildew coated the walls of Dr. Drakken’s mountain lair. The disheveled mad scientist sat at his desk with his head resting on the top. He looked at a toy model of some sort of torture device. Two small figures, one redheaded, the other blonde haired with a pink blob on its shoulder, stood precariously in its clutches. Drakken’s finger quivered over the small ‘on’ button but he didn’t have the desire to send the bits of plastic to their doom. With a groan, he knocked the model off his desk and buried his head in his arms. Shego entered the room holding a cell phone to her in mid-conversation.

“...I know, it looked like they were together before, but trust me, it’s a new thing,” she said shuddering like she was covered in slime. “Anyway, why I called. Remember when I told you were the lamest villain I ever met...? Yeah, I’m gonna take that back. Okay...? Bye now.”

Shego flipped the phone shut and took an unpleasant stare from Drakken.

“Shego, why do hurt me so?”

The olive faced sidekick lightly shrugged her shoulders.

“I dunno. Princess seems to enjoy it...”

Drakken sighed heavily and as a distant look covered his face.

“You wouldn’t be so lippy if I had the neural...,” Drakken said before being abruptly cutoff.

“Enough with neural whatchamjigger!” Shego shrieked. “It’s sitting in the dump in who knows how many pieces along with everything else the bafoon obliterated.” She began to walk away leaving Dr. Drakken depressed as ever. As he moved to bury his head again, a spark streaked across his eyes.

“That’s it!” he exclaimed. Shego stopped with a shiver. Now, that’s why you’re not suppose to talk to him, she thought.

“That’s what?” she asked weakly. What did we just agree on? she continued to scold herself. Drakken had leapt to his feet and rushed to her grabbing her in a bear hug.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” the blue faced man said giddily. Shego cringed and struggled to break free.

“You’re touching me...why are you touching me?” she yelled before Drakken released her. The wild-eyed sinister glare returned to his face as he rubbed his hands together.

“You’ll see, Shego. Come!”

Christmas, his birthday, and the last day of school were three of the most special days of the year to Ron Stoppable. He ranked them in his mind as he turned up the sidewalk to his best/girlfriend’s home. Despite being Jewish, Christmas still held sway as he was always included in the Possible’s celebration as ‘one of the family.’ Today, however, was perhaps his favorite of the three and the always the most difficult to get through: the last day of school.

The joy of knowing that when the bell rang at the end of the day, he was free for three months always fought against the torturous slow ticking of the clock. He had successfully made it through the week without being nailed by Mr. Barkin. Ron almost thought that he had forgotten about his punishment, but resolved to stay on his toes anyway. He dwelled on his other problem as he entered the Possible home and saw Kim at the table cereal in one hand, a mountain make-up work left to complete in the other.

“Morning, K.P.,” he greeted. She did not look up as she continued to grind lead to paper.

“Morning?It’salreadymorning?Thatcan’tberight,” flew from her jittery mouth. Ron noticed the trash can topped with three empty cans of coffee before locking eyes with a very concerned Mrs. Dr. Possible. They didn’t have to say anything to each other to realize that Kim wasn’t going to make it. Ron moved a chair to sit down next to her as he placed his hand on hers and stopped her from writing.

“Kim,” he started. Her head jerked and he was confronted by something that resembled his Kim, but the straggly unwashed hair, the one twitching eye and the other wide open both with puffy bags underneath, the raggedly chewed lip, and the oily skin on the verge of breaking out was a sight he would have to repress if he wanted to continue to have romantic feelings for her. Ron composed himself and continued. “I think maybe it’s time to throw in the towel. Summer school’s not the end of the world.”

No sooner had he finished than did two hands seize fistfuls of shirt. Kim was mere inches from his face snorting.

“I am going to finish!” Kim growled bearing her teeth like a hungry dog fighting over a pork chop. Ron winced knowing there was no point in arguing.

“Sure thing, K.P.,” he nervously said trying to find air to fill his lungs. “Well, time to go to school.” Kim released him as he slid to the floor with a thud.

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“Okay, so what’s this thing that you’re calling a plan again?” Shego asked her boss as the smell of the Tri City trash dump overpowered her.

“Simple,” came the shrill response from Dr. Drakken. “Those fools just threw away what was left of all those projects after the baffoon blew the lab up. But an evil genius such as myself should have no problem piecing them all together into my ultimate doomsday device! And the best part, the dump is public property. It’s all unguarded--no one to stop us!”

Drakken turned to Shego for approval but found his green clad assistant donning a gas mask and rolling her eyes.

“Come Shego, that pile looks pretty new.”

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“Okay, so what’s this thing that you’re calling a plan again?” Wade asked as the Wadebot came to a stop at the entrance to the Tri City trash dump. Ron hopped off the back of Wade’s contraption and faced the screen.

“Don’t say plan, you’ll jinx us,” Ron pleaded. Wade and Rufus exchanged confused looks. “We are not here at the trash dump. We are not looking for the grade report so Kim can stay out of summer school.” Wade rubbed his shaking head.

“So let me get this straight. You are trying to use you dumb luck...,”

“Ah, ah, dumb skill.”

“...to try and find one piece of paper in the largest landfill in the state?”

“No, we’re gonna do exactly the opposite.”

“Okay, no I’m completely confused.”

“Perfect! Let’s not go!” Ron chimed happily motioning for the Wadebot and Rufus to follow.

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A car hood with a rope attached to it substituted for a cart as Shego was forced to drag the broken pieces of equipment Drakken had piled on top. Drakken sifted through a pile holding various pieces up for inspection but tossed most of them away. A small red and black toy caught his eye and he picked it up. Drakken gazed sentimentally at the ‘lil Diablo and thought of what might have been. He turned to Shego and held it up.

“Shego, remember...,” but a green bolt of plasma disintegrated the devilish looking toy singeing his hand before he could finish. With a growl he returned to his search. His face once again lit up as he reached for half of a silverish colored laser gun. As he lifted it out of the pile, a puppy sized cockroach clamped onto it playfully forcing Drakken to jump back and screech. The mutant bug wagged its thorax and tried to get the evil doctor to play fetch. His terror turning to anger, he struggled against the roach for control.

“This is for world domination. It’s not a chew toy!” Drakken yelled. Giving the bug a harsh kick, he sent it flying towards the corner of the trash pile. The cockroach landed at the feet of an oblivious Ron Stoppable as he turned the corner.

“Roachie!” Ron exclaimed as he saw his old friend. Roachie skipped exchanging pleasantries and instead scampered up Ron’s back and began clicking furiously. Ron responded with his own series of clicks before turning to see whatRoachie was cowering from.

“Is he actually talking to that thing?” Dr. Drakken stated with shock as he stared at Ron and Roachie.

“Yeah, don’t worry about Stoppable here tofoil us,” came Shego muffled reply. “The real problem is him talking to a giant cockroach.”

Shego flashed her hands and shot a ball of energy towards Ron. Shocked by the sudden turn of events, he could only manage a clumsy backflip to avoid incineration. Shego leaped to the top of trash pile and began to reign down bursts of plasma. Ron jumped and rolled to avoid each blast finally landing on an upside down hubcap. Unable to balance himself, Ron was snatched by a streaking Wadebot and pulled down the aisle of garbage.

Arms flailing, Ron found himself trash surfing on the hubcap behind the Wadebot. Shego leapt from pile to pile above him continuing her attack. Ron’s inability to balance himself kept his movements random enough to avoid the green woman’s energy attacks. Wade was forced to take a sharp turn as a screaming Ron saw his life flash before his eyes. Ahead was a large pile of unevenly stacked cars. Ron shut his eyes and tried his best to roll into the turn.

The Wadebot’s new direction rippled down its extended arm to Ron who was pulled ninety degrees into the turn just in the nick of time. The bottom of his hubcap collided with one of the cars as Ron bounced off. The cars began to rumble and scratch against each other. High in the air in mid-leap, Shego realized she was in trouble. Her next landing point was swaying back and forth but there was nothing she could do. She braced for landing as the top car suddenly turned vertical. Her body collided with the slick roof with no chance to pivot. The villainess found herself being knocked away from the avalanche like a baseball into a pile of garbage much less pleasant and foul.

The Wadebot powered down and slammed to an ill-advised stop. Ron, still panicked over his last near miss was facing another collision. Rufus and Roachie leapt from his shoulders each tucking and rolling to a stop. At the last split second, Ron was able to pull his body down and grabbed the bottom of his hubcap, executed a jump narrowly missing the Wadebot. Despite being onscreen, Wade ducked forgetting he was in no danger. On the other side, Ron stuck a shaky landing but continued forward still unable to stop. Another pile of garbage laid in front of him but out of options, he conceded to impact sending trash, papers, and other discarded objects into the air.

Wade maneuvered the Wadebot to Ron as Rufus and Roachie jumped to his side.

“Ron! Are you okay?” Wade asked concerned. Ron groaned as he sat up. A piece of paper stuck to his face.

“I can’t feel my spleen, but...,” Ron said as he grabbed the paper off his now grinning face. “Boo-hoo! Yah! We found what we weren’t looking for...! ‘Boo-hoo-yah’, that was better than ‘boo-yahliscious.”

“Don’t tell me you...,” Wade didn’t finish as Ron held the slip of paper up to the Wadebot’s camera. It was the missing grade report. “...I see it, but I don’t believe it.”

“Come on, I can’t wait to see Kim’s face! Let’s get this back to school,” Ron yelled as he began to leave but the Wadebot grabbed his shoulder.

“What about Drakken and Shego?” Wade asked sternly.

“Wade, we don’t have time! We’ve got to get this back or Kim’s stuck in summer school.”

“Ron, what would Kim do?”

Ron stopped struggling against the robot’s arm and frowned.

“She’d save the world,” he said with contempt. “Fine, let’s get this over with.”

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Drakken wrestled with the bits of junk he was loading into his hover jet. Everything was half-hazardly tied down to the back screaming ‘accident waiting to happen.’ Hearing a rustle behind him, he turned to see Shego covered in slime and filth and staring daggers at him.

“Don’t ask,” she growled as she walked to the side of the craft and began to climb aboard. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Drakken surpressed a laugh as he moved to jump in.

“Stop right there!” Ron shouted from the other end of the clearing of trash.

“The sidekick again?” Drakken moaned.

“Oh, come on! I know you know my name!” Ron objected as Drakken began to mumble and think. “I’m here to stop you... I’m very able.”

“You and what army are going to stop me,” Drakken shot back. As soon as he had finished, the ground rumbled. Small pieces of trash tumbled down each pile. Shego, who had one foot on the side of the hover jet lost her balance and hit the ground as Drakken hit the ground. The two villains looked to the top of the nearest trash heap and were shocked by what they saw--row upon row of giant cockroaches much larger than Roachie who stood at the front of the formation.

“His giant mutant cockroach army... You had to ask, didn’t you?” Shego moaned. With a quick few clicks and chirps from the puppy sized roach, the entire column descended down the pile towards the blue and green villains. They quickly scrambled to their feet and ran as the mutant roaches trampled the hover jet to pieces and quickly overtook the pair they were chasing.

Wade hovered the Wadebot above Ron and Rufus who quickly scrambled up the lowered arm to safety as the stampede rumbled beneath them. Drakken and Shego were now riding on the backs of the giant roaches unable to escape.

“You will never see a stranger sight,” Ron mused.

“No kidding. That just isn’t right,” Wade replied.

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At precisely 2:58pm , the office doors of Middleton High burst open. It’s occupants jerked to see who it was before recoiling in fear and terror at what stood before them. The frazzled redhead flared her nostrils and tugged a duffel bag bursting with homework assignments. She slung the bag onto the office counter with a tremendous grunt.

“Finished,” she snarled locking eyes with Mr. Barkin who vaguely recognized the figure before him as Kim Possible. No one moved for what seemed like an eternity. Kim finally flinched as she noticed Ron in mission clothes standing with Barkin and Gladys.

“Ron, what are you doing here?” she huffed. Before Ron could respond, Barking answered.

“Well, it seems Stoppable found the grade sheet for this semester,” he stated cautiously trying to avoid setting off the human bomb in front of him. “Let me apologize for all the extra work you had to do, but it won’t be necessary.”

Kim’s eyes twitched as her brain tried to reconcile the information it had just been given. Ron sauntered over and stood close to Kim expecting a ‘reward.’

“You even made honor roll again, K.P.,” he said soothingly. Her head tilted slightly to look at Ron. Her mouth opened in semi-shock before she mumbled, “Can’t wait to tell my parents.” As she finished, her eyes rolled back and Kim fainted backward toward the floor before Ron caught her and gently laid her down. Rufus quickly grabbed a piece of paper and began to fan her.

“Kim? K.P.?” Ron asked in a panic before an obnoxiously loud snore filled Kim’s nostrils. Her exhausted frame was going to be out for quite some time.

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! The school bell chimed.

Ron burst to his feet and almost hit the ceiling.

“Boo-yah!” he shouted with a point to Barkin. “In your face.”

“In my what?” came the vice-principal’s serious reply.

“School’s out for the year and now you can’t touch me. Give me some skin, Rufus.”

Barkin’s eyes shifted before he leaned into Ron.

“Check your sources better next time, Stoppable. Punishments can, and will in your case, carry over to the next school year.”

Ron’s elation had faded to utter terror and confusion as his eyes widened and lips quivered. Mr. Barkin continued.

“I have entire summer to plan every last detail. So enjoy your summer. It may be your last,” he grunted in almost a whisper mere inches from his face. Ron’s knees finally had enough and he collapsed into a shaking mass of nerves next to Kim.

Barkin straightened himself with a grin and looked over the pair of teenage heroes now powerless at his feet with a chuckle fully satisfied that he had done what no super villain had ever done--bring Team Possible to its knees. The idea of world domination briefly crossed his mind before he decided terrorizing high schoolers was much more fun. He turned to head to his office knowing that the worst punishment he could ever hammer Stoppable with was no punishment at all...

Next Episode: Amateur Hour -- The villain life gets glorified on a reality TV show and Team Possible is faced with a slew of new world dominating upstarts.

Deleted Scene

The quiet rustle of papers and a few hushed conversations was all that could be heard in study hall. Most of the whispers related to whether or not Kim Possible, the girl who could do anything, could complete an entire semester's work in one week. As she sat alone at a table surrounded by an obnoxious stack of papers, the odds stood at four to one.

In the corner, Ron scanned a book on public relations when a friendly voice snuck up on him.

"You planning on going for a trifecta of scientific destruction this week?" Ron spun to see Monique smiling playfully at him and taking the book he was reading.

"Ah, man, you heard about the secret lab? I have got to get my PR under control."

"'Image control is key,'" Monique quoted from the book. "How's your girlfriend doing?"

"Ah, do you have to say 'girlfriend' like that? It's still a bit awkward."

"You don't have to get defensive."

"I AM NOT DEFENSIVE!"

Monique clamped Ron's mouth shut as a few stares were set on him. She gave him her patented 'Boy, you know I'm right so don't fight it' look. Ron quieted himself.

"Okay, it's been a stressful week. Between Barkin and Drakken and K.P.'s homework sitch, we haven't had a lot of time together and you know what happens when we don't spend time together."

"You both fall apart like jello out of an airplane... Well, the week's almost over. You should at least tell baby girl to get some sleep."

"One step ahead of you there."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Kim was complaining that she hadn't gone to sleep in three days. So I taught her a little trick I know."

Monique gasped and shook her head.

"You didn't... Not the legendary Ron Stoppable eyes open but still asleep in class technique?"

Ron put his hands together and gave a respectful bow.

"The student has become the master."

"Ron! Bad idea!"

"How bad?"

"Very bad. Do you know why I sleep in a seperate room when we have a sleepover?"

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