Kim Possible 1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All characters are property of their respective owners.

* * *

It was a cool autumn day. At least the forecast said it was supposed to be. Standing on the edge of a chasm, bracing against a pair of large rocks, holding ropes running around a pair of trees, and over the edge, the two would violently disagree. Covered in sweat, the blond young man and his darker haired partner strained to hold the ropes.

Four hundred feet down, almost to the bottom, hung the payload the boys were struggling to hold. On one rope, in a black and green jumpsuit, a black haired woman held the medical bag for her partner. The red head, in a black crop top, and tan cargo pants, was bandaging the leg of a fallen rock climber. The only way in was over the side of the cliff. The bottom was littered with skeletons, both of animals and humans that had fallen in, and been unable to escape.

The sides of the canyon made it impossible to conduct a rescue by chopper, or even using the winches on the Genesis hover platform. So the aircraft had dropped them off, and set down just outside the mouth of the gap. The wireless headsets crackled as Ron spoke.

"How's it going KP?" He asked Kim.

"Just fine." Kim answered. Adam's voice followed.

"Look as much as we enjoy keeping you ladies in suspense, it's really hot up here, and we're getting tired. Ron is just too polite to say anything. I am under no such restriction." There was an amused note in his voice.

"She's just finishing up, and you can haul us up in a minute." Shego chuckled back, over the com.

"Grab his arms." Kim ordered Shego. Shego nodded, and closed the pack, slinging it on. While Kim held the climbers legs, Shego took hold of his arms, and they slid him onto the back board. Positioned, they strapped him in. "Pull us up. Evenly." Kim ordered.

"Right Kim." Ron replied.

"Yeah, yeah." Adam grunted.

There was a matched pair of grunts, and the three started to rise between the walls of the canyon. Reaching the top, Kim and Shego slid the board over the edge, and climbed after it. As the pressure came off the ropes, Ron and Adam collapsed.

"Tired?" Kim asked with a slight grin. Adam looked at her in stupified amazement, while Ron simply nodded. She half-grinned, as she and Shego carried the injured climber to Genny. As the lifted off, the boys were starting to pick up the equipment.

"What has she been eating?" Adam asked Ron.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Kim, she seems to have gained an extra dose of humor lately." :Mostly at my expense.: He added sourly in the back of his mind.

"Oh. Must have been Shego's cooking." Ron chuckled. "Seriously though, I haven't got the slightest idea.

"Ah well, guess..." Genny reappeared, engine wash cutting him off.

"Got a call. Dementor is at it again." Kim called from the top of the platform. Ron and Adam hit the edge with a precisely matched stride. Genny accelereated almost before they'd landed fully. "He's attempting to disrupt the tidal flows." Kim filled them in.

"How?" Ron wanted to know.

"Some sort of high gravity cannon." Shego replied. "Wade's reading some odd stuff. Birds and things dropping in altitude suddenly."

"How do we know it's Dementor?" Adam asked.

"Because I checked the shipping records, genius." Wade snorted. Even considering all that had happened in Everlot, the two could still barely hold a civil conversation.

"Everything is going to one D. Mentor." Genny cut in smoothly. "If it's not him, someone has some explaining to do." She chuckled dryly.

* * *

Sliding through the air vents, the four did their best to remain quiet. Kim was in the lead, followed by Ron, then Shego, with Adam bringing up the rear. Of course the entrance wasn't as smooth as it could have been. Kim hit, and rolled, coming up wet. Ron started to drop, and then got tangled in her line. Shego snapped the line, and he dropped onto the floor, splashing slightly as he rolled out of the way, in the dimly lit room. Shego dropped with a smooth grace that would make a ballet dancer jealous. Adam made no attempt at grace, and simply absorbed the entire force of the impact with his legs, coming up with a knife in his hand, ready to fly.

"Velcome." Dementors voice came over the loud speakers. "I do hope you like the room. I'd hate for you to die in a room you don't like." As he spoke, the airvent disappeared, and the water began to rise.

"Don't worry, we won't." Kim assured him. "Shego? An exit?"

"Sure." Hands glowing, she fired. Energy crackled as the plasma bolt smashed into the wall, and bounced away, slamming into Adam's back.

"Not good." Ron observed nervously. Three withering stares answered him.

"An idea's Kimmie?" Shego asked. The water rapidly rising, almost to their waists.

"Try the vent." Kim pointed. Shego fired. The attack reflected, and caught Adam on the leg.

"Will you please try something else? The walls are obviously magnetically protected." Adam snorted indignantly.

"Which means there have to be emitters." Ron reasoned. "Shego, blast the wall again." He ordered. Shego glared.

"You owe me one." She grunted and fired. The blast bounced once, not heading for Adam, who sighed in relief. It reflected off another wall, and caught him in the ass. Ron cried out in success, as Adam was swearing with marked vehemence.

"KP, the entire wall runs off one emitter. The lens is really tiny, but I think the watch laser will break it." Ron explained. Kim nodded, and passed the watch over. The lens shattered, and the emitter shut down. Shego cut an escape route, as the water neared the ceiling. The water flushed out, and they slid to a stop gently against the opposite hall wall.

Ron's rather ingenius plan earned him a kiss from the girls, and a kick in the ass from Adam. He grinned at the kisses, and glared at Adam.

"I got shot in the ass, and it's your fault. I'm simply returning the favor." Adam explained. Ron rolled his eyes, and the pair followed Kim and Shego who had gone on ahead.

They entered the room as the girls were polishing off the last of Dementors guards. With a grin, Ron went left, as Adam went right, catching Dementor in a false corner, as the girls closed in from the center of the room.

"Vell, I must say, it took you longer than usual to get away from my trap." Dementor noted idly.

"The magnetic shielding was a nice touch." Kim complimented.

"Really?" Dementor asked. "You don't think it was too much over the top?" He queried.

"Nope, just right." Shego replied. Adam started to say something, but Dementor touched a key on the pad he was holding, and the gravity cannon in the center of the room roared to life.

"Too bad you'll never stop my plan." The floor below him rose into the air, and a bubble encased him. He flew out the roof as it opened, giving the cannon a clear shot at the moon.

Ron ran for the control panel, only to find it delivered a massive shock when he tried to use it. Shego blew a panel off the side, and Kim stuck her head into the hold. Sparks flashed inside, as she disabled the shock protection from the panel. With Ron out after the impact, Adam was first to the panel.

"Not good." He half-yelped. "Kim, this thing has got one hell of a failsafe. If it's not allowed to fire, it's programmed to implode, and take a sphere of roughly seven miles in diameter with it."

"So?" Kim asked. "Jam it and let's go." Adam shook his head.

"No can do. There's a village on the backside of the mountain, and there's not enought time to save them." He explained.

"Ron?" Kim called. Shego was already there. She kicked him just hard enough to wake him, but not hurt him.

"What?" Ron asked. Kim gave him the short version of it. "Maybe Wade can retarget it?" He suggested. Kim nodded, wondering why she hadn't thought of it herself.

"Wade, can you retarget this thing?" She asked the genius on the other end of the Kimmunicator.

"I don't know, plug me in." He ordered. She did so without hesitation, and they waited. Five minutes later, and two minutes from firing, Wade answered. "Sorry Kim, space is too cluttered to retarget it. Anywhere I aim, I'm going to hit something vital." Wade apologized.

"Wait." Ron called, suddenly struck by an idea. "Adam, you can exchange most energy into magical power, can't you?" Adam nodded. "Can you do it with the energy from the cannon?"

"I don't know. Theoretically I should, but we're talking joules of energy here." Adam sighed. "I don't see another choice though. I'll try it."

"Right, you've got about a minute to get in position." Kim pointed out.

"Adam?" Shego spoke up in a dangerous tone. "What happens if you can't do it?"

"The moon shifts into a perfect circular orbit, and fishing is a brand new challenge?" He smiled.

"I mean to you." She snapped, gritting her teeth at the same time she looked about to cry.

"Supergravity fail-safe." He answered. "I turn into a six inch cube, and Genny takes you to have me reinflated. One of the advantages of an unstable genetic code. Then I get scolded, we kiss and make up. If I succeed, can we skip to kissing and making up?"

* * *

"That was without a doubt, the stupidest idea I've ever been involved in." Adam snorted from the deck plating of Genny. "And the slickest." He complimented Ron. The sandy haired individual grinned.

"Thank you." Ron replied smoothly. Since the blast from the cannon, Adam hadn't been able to stand. They'd had to carry him onto Genny. He explained that he just had to burn off extra energy before he'd return to normal. Shego had offered to help him. He'd winked and said yes.

She informed him the basement needed cleaning. The look he'd answered with had sent her to the deck laughing. He'd muttered something along the lines of 'not that kind of energy'. Genny had laughingly explained that he had to discharge the excess magical potential energy, which was what he'd converted the energy from the gravity cannon in to. If he didn't in time, certain powers otherwise inactive in this dimension for certain reasons, would activate, and be out of control. Most of them were very dangerous. Genny set down int the backyard of the house. Adam had recovered by that point enough to walk off on his own.

"This might not be pleasant." He commented as he dropped to one knee, seeming to prepare himself. His right hand stretched upwards, pointing towards the sky, palm facing up, fingers spread. A faint white glow wrapped it, then it exploded upwards. Adam screamed in pain, as the energy flowed skyward. He continued for almost seven minutes, before the flow ebbed, and then died altogether. As the hand lowered, they could see blood running from it, down his arm. "Told you." He smiled thinly. "Normally I have internal healing to take care of the damage caused by discharging energy that way. Here, I don't. Ron, would you mind terribly?"

Ron chuckled and shook his head, walking closer. The Lotus Blade flared to life as Ron touched his arm, and new skin formed over the bleeding tissue of Adam's damaged hand. Ron stepped back, half expecting Adam to rise instantly. He didn't, knowing something was wrong. "Get back! NOW!" Adam bellowed in shock and pain, pushing Ron away. The air around Adam stilled, even though the engine backwash from Genny's engines cooling was still blowing in his direction.

"What's going on?" Shego demanded.

"I don't, ahhh..." Adam was cut off as he clutched his stomach in pain. Behind him a swirling silver portal began to form, reflecting the scene before it, even though it was greatly distorted.

"Look out!" Ron cried urgently. Adam seemed not to notice though, and Kim decided to act, as she saw things start to be drawn into the portal, including slowly, Adam. Lunging forwards, she fired her grappling gun into the house. It hooked, and she started to reel herself back to him. As she reached down and grabbed hold of his arm, the pull of the portal amplified several times, and the grappling gun gave as they were pulled in. With the end of the gun, came both her back pack, and the silver shoulder piece of his nano armor. Ron lunged for the end of the line as the portal closed, but missed, and ended up with a face full of grass. Shego had leaped at the same time, and she landed across his back.

"Not good." Ron choked. "So not good."

"No, duh." Shego snorted.


	2. Chapter 2

Awakening, I found an odd weight on my back. It wasn't like it was the first time it had happened, but I usually remembered falling asleep. I didn't this time. Memories hit me like a tidal flood. I remembered discharging excess energy and feeling Mr. Fixit activate. That wasn't what it was really called, but the real name was too long to even think, so I used Mr. Fixit instead. One other thing came to mind. Kim had tried to save me, despite me calling her to get away. On one hand, I was touched by the gesture, on the other I was unsure what that meant in relation to Mr. Fixit. It did however, explain the extra weight on my back.

"You awake Kim?" I asked her. She mumbled in reply. Whether she wasn't fully awake, or just mad at me I wasn't sure. With her it could be either, or even both.

"What happened?" She asked, just a bit groggily.

"I think, you landed on my spleen." I answered. I said I think, because I'm sure where exactly my spleen is located, beyond within my body.

"We're alive." She exclaimed, sounding truly surprised.

"Well you are, I know until you move. I can't feel anything south of my ribs." I sighed. I'm not purposely an asshole, but stupid people annoy me. So do slow ones.

While Kim is not stupid persay, she is a bit slow when it comes to getting a point. As she rolled off, I felt several things, including possibly the aforementioned, and ever illusive spleen, shift back into place. I finally opened my eyes, not having done so earlier, because Kim's knee was in my face, blocking my vision. Looking around, it was obvious we were no longer in San Fran. For one thing, we were in the middle of a peaceful, and tranquil forest. Second, the air was clear and crisp, something smog made it not, even in the deepest part of Golden Gate park.

Third, we were surrounded by mounted men in full armor.

"Milady, quickly, nail the knave with your powers, and dive aside.We'll finish the coward for thee." One of the men called. A quick glance around confirmed that I was who he was talking about.

"Kim, I'm really sorry about this." I apologized in advance, though it probably wouldn't stop her from killing me later. I've always considered myself rather valorous, and discretion is the better part of valor.

To put it simply, I dove into the tree's, and ran like hell.

* * *

Despite her best efforts to dissuade them, one of the knights had dismounted, offering her his horse. With a sigh of exasperation, she had mounted. Sweat drenched the animals flanks, though it didn't seem winded, or tired.

The dehorsed knight mounted behind another warrior, and they rode back at a walk, probably for the comfort of the horses, but the knights seemed nervous. After considering for a moment, Kim asked.

"Why are you so nervous?" She asked. The man who had spoken earlier started.

"Didst thou bump thy head?" He asked. "Never else would you use the manners of the common folk." Came the response.

"A momentary lapse. I do seem somewhat off." Kim replied, trying to fake it.

"Understandable, Lady Possible. The knave is a caster of some small merit, and even a sorceress of your might can be caught unawares. I am Sir Ederick, your loyal champion. My knight guard and I gave chase as soon as the knave didst attempt to steal your light from the world." Sir Ederick explained. That was why they were trying to kill Adam, though for leaving her she was tempted to order them after them him. The feeling passed, as the knew he'd done the right thing.

"Thank thee Sir Ederick. And thou brave knights. Please, I have lost much and we appear far from home. Remind me of myself, that I am recovered ere we return." She asked, almost tripping on her tongue.

"Of course Milady." She found out in this dimension she was countess of house Possible. At the time, she was the only member of her family around. Her parents, the king's personal Sorceror, and healer respectively, were with him of the country while her brothers, already full wizards themselves, were to the north, questing for familiars. Ederick reminded her she had promised not to take too many of the villagers for herself. After all the stables could only do so much to breed more.

Kim shuddered at the implications of that. Ederick then began to remind her of the important people she had to deal with. First was the house Seneschal, one Ron Stoppable. Ederick warned he was after the title, and would stop at nothing to gain it, including a marriage of inconveinence. If he succeeded, her life was worthless.

Head of the seamstresses, was a soft hearted girl by the name of Monique. Kim's best friend, and head torturer was the Lady Rockwaller. Finally the head of the house guards, and weaponsmaster, Stephen Barking. Ederick clearly held no love for him, but Kim could tell his praise of the man and his guards was genuine.

"Your familial estates." Ederick announced, as they rode from the forest. What greeted them was a black stone castle. As they rode closer, streets emptied, as the occupants of the town fled in simple, but sheer terror.

An all but palable pall of death and depression hung over the town. The castle Kim saw as they rode through the gates, was constructed entirely of smooth granite, but that the walls were drenched in blood, giving it the air of decay, as well as it's black appearence. Two stablehands came out to meet them, one dropping to his knees below Kim's horse, while the other did the same beside Ederick, who used him as a step. Kim dropped without touching the boy beneath her saddle, and he rose, departing without a word. The knight who had given up his horse took it back, while the stable hand took Edericks.

"This way, I assume you'll wish to change from those rags." Ederick gestured her forward. Not at all comfortable with him behind her, she smiled sweetly, though it made her ill.

"If you would walk with me, lest I become lost as to the proper path. I fear the knave has addled me more than I first feared." Kim whispered the last, as if not wishing the others to hear.

"As you command." He offered his arm, which she too though she was wanted to crawl out of her skin.

* * *

Kim sighed heavily, throughly exhausted. I had been one hell of a day, worse since arriving wherever here was. Unsure of what was going to come next, she had ordered her mission clothes washed. It was almost eleven local time, when the knock came. She had fallen half asleep, but the noise had her instantly awake, and searching the candle light below the door. There were no shadows and she started when the knock came again. Peering of the bed, she saw some in the window.

It had to be Adam. Anyone else would have used a door. Gathering the robe she had been given from the bed, she slung it on, and opened the window.

"Adam, it's about, ahhh..." She gasped startled. It was Adam, but not hers. A long, smooth scar ran from the top of his forhead, over his left eye, and across his jawline. Without a word, he climbed in the window, and stared at her wordlessly. After a moment, a familiar voice drifted up.

"She's not interested, now stop staring and help me." Adam called, talking to himself. The other Adam returned to the window, reaching down to lift a long bundle. A moment later, her Adam appeared, carrying her backpack. "Sorry about the delay. I had to track these two down." He waved.

"I only see one..." She swallowed. "person."

"Yeah, he was a little too quick with his knife." Adam sighed regretfully.

"She's dead?" Kim asked, suddenly ill. Adam nodded solemnly. "Oh god." She pushed past the other Adam, and into the private bathroom. Ignoring the retching noises, the twin men set about what they planned.

When Kim returned from the bathroom, she saw her double on the bed, flat on her back, one Adam was poking at the fire, and the other was digging in her pack. The double on the bed had been stripped to the skin.

"What is going on?" Kim asked. The Adam digging in her pack raised his head.

"We're setting up a perfect murder." He replied, and tossed her clothes to her. "I liberated these, while you were liberating dinner."

"Okay, now what?" She asked. Adam tapped his double on the shoulder, and waved him into the other room.

"Change, and put what you're wearing on her. He'll finish it after we leave." Adam instructed, and stuck his head out the window. After a moment, Kim signaled all clear. Adam knocked on the bathroom door. His double stepped out.

"We're leaving. You good?" The other nodded.

Adam stepped to the window. Kim coughed. "What is it?"

"Why don't we walk?" She suggested, pointing to the door.

"Because it's going to be really hard to kill rumors of her still being alive, if she leaves the room, and never comes back, then is found dead, with the door locked from the inside." Adam pointed out. "Plus they think I'm evil."

"We just going to jump?" Kim asked.

"Yeah, I got Mr. Fixit working." Adam replied.

"What?" She asked.

"The power that kicked off is called Mr.Fixit. It takes me wherever I'm most needed. I'll activate it in mid-air, and it should take us home."

"Should?" Kim asked with a raised eyebrow. Adam shrugged.

"What's the fun in certainty?" He grinned. Taking his hand, they leapt.

The silver portal opened below them, and they fell through it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Written by Jezrianna

---

Reality twisted, stretched, and turned itself inside out. Kim felt a blast of cold air, saw a dark shape approaching fast, and got her arms up to protect her head just as she hit the ground.

Hard.

Stunned, she lay still while the world settled down again. It was dark, but one horizon was lit with pale, rosy light. She wasn't positive, but it looked like dawn. Kim felt a slight breeze, and heard branches moving with it. Towering conical shapes loomed nearby, and her nose caught the scent of pine needles. She sat up, regretting the sudden move as her head began to throb. A moan drew her attention.

Adam lay nearby, flat on his back. Willpower overriding protesting nerves and muscles, Kim stood up. A look around showed that they were on the lower slopes of a wooded hill. A plain lay below them to the east (assuming the sun rose in the East here, wherever here was). Points of light dotted the plain, flickering in the gloom.

Fires.

Lots of them.

Kim staggered over to were Adam lay. He opened his eyes, looked up at her and grinned.

"Hey, gorgeous," he said.

Kim kicked him in the ribs. Not _too_ hard, but definitely enough to get his attention.

"Augh! What the fuck did you do that for?" he rasped, his voice shadowed with pain.

"On principle," Kim snarled. She threw an arm toward the plain. "What have you got me into now?" she demanded.

Adam pushed himself to his feet and looked around.

"Uh," he stammered. "I'm not sure. I don't recognize this place." He made a gesture. "Lumos!" he declared grandly. Light sprang forth from his hand. He played the beam around. Almost at once it fell on an all too familiar object.

"That's a Behemoth," Adam breathed.

"What's left of it," Kim agreed. At first blush the oversized land vehicle looked intact, but closer examination showed that it had been gutted by fire. It's paint was scorched, its windows blown out. Its tires were gone, consumed by the fierce heat. All that remained were the alloy wheels. The panels covering its weapons bays were still shut.

"It never even got a shot off," Adam observed.

By unspoken agreement Kim and Adam headed down the hillside. After a mile or so they found another Behemoth. Its side was ripped open, the thick armor peeled back like the lid of a sardine tin. Smashed and twisted metal was all that remained of the inside. The smell of burnt plastic was underlain with a salty, metallic odor that Kim recognized at once.

Blood. However many people had been in the Behemoth when it was hit, at least one of them had been wounded.

'More likely killed,' Kim said to herself.

Farther on they ran across the crumpled remains of an aircraft.

"Genny!" Adam cried, sprinting towards the shattered wreck. Kim followed on his heels.

Sure enough, it was Genny, or something enough like her to be her twin. Kim frowned, unable to remember if Adam had mentioned Genny being a standard production model or not. She glanced at him. His hands were covering his face, and his shoulders were shaking.

'I guess she was unique,' Kim decided. She laid a gentle hand on Adam's shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

When Adam's grief had run its course they continued down toward the plain. Cresting a small rise, they got a profound shock. Laying in their path were the blackened remains...

...of Genny.

Adam wore a look of pure confusion. He looked back over his shoulder. His eyes weren't deceiving him. Behind them, still visible, was what they'd taken to be Genny. Adam returned his gaze to the front. He blinked, and shook his head. Genny still lay before him.

"This isn't possible," he muttered. "There's only one Genny."

"It obviously is possible, otherwise we wouldn't be seeing it," Kim corrected him. Adam gave her a sour look, but nodded.

As Kim and Adam made their way out onto the plain they got more surprises, none of them pleasant. They passed dozens of destroyed Behemoths, including one that had been crushed flat, like an empty beer can that someone had stepped on. A number of Gennys were scattered among them.

And corpses. Hundreds upon hundreds of bodies, almost all in House Marcae uniforms. The stench of blood and entrails was strong, and Kim gave thanks for the cold air and slight breeze, which kept the smell at a manageable level.

"Oh my God!" Kim exclaimed suddenly. "Shego!" She ran toward a green and black clad figure. A wave of horror and nausea swept over Kim. Shego was dead. Very much so, considering that her body was missing below her chest. A few bits of her abdominal organs remained, but that was all. A look of shock and disbelief was frozen on Shego's face, and her still open eyes stared blankly at the lightening sky.

Adam joined Kim but said nothing, just stared numbly at the gruesome spectacle. Kim turned away, staring at nothing in her sorrow. Then she stopped and stared. Not far off lay something she couldn't quite believe she was seeing.

It was her.

A closer examination confirmed it. Kim Possible stared down at Kim Possible, who lay dead at her feet, her chest a ruined mass of scarlet goo.

"What in the world?" Kim murmured. Studying the dead woman, Kim noticed a few streaks of gray among the red hairs, as well as some lines around her eyes that Kim knew she didn't have. Adam tapped her on the shoulder, pointing when Kim raised her eyes. She wasn't the only one with a corpse here. Adam's twin hung partway out of a Behemoth. While they were walking towards it, Kim noticed another figure in green and black.

It was Shego again. Nearby was a headless corpse that Kim none-the-less immediately recognized as Ron. And beyond it was another Adam.

"What is this place?" Adam asked, his rhetorical question delivered in a plaintive tone.

"It's a battlefield, obviously," a cool voice whispered. Kim and Adam whirled, their guards coming up. No one was in sight. No one living, anyway.

"Where are you?" Adam demanded. "Show yourself."

"In order," the voice replied, "Here and there and, no."

Kim heard Adam's teeth grind together.

"What happened here?" she asked diplomatically.

"They attacked me," the voice chuckled. Kim listened closely. The voice was pitched tenor, or thereabouts. The gender of its owner was indiscernible. It sounded pleased, though, and a trifle smug.

"I fought back," the voice added grimly.

"But why did they attack..." Kim began, but she was cut off by two tendrils of shadow that formed in front of them and darted in to touch their foreheads. Kim found herself frozen, and felt a presence enter her mind and wander through it, examining every thought and memory she'd ever had. The process seemed to drag on forever, and left Kim feeling thoroughly embarrassed and violated.

"That explains it," the voice mused cryptically. "You two are from the past. That's why you don't know what happened here. The tendril that had been touching Kim's head drew back, then pointed like an accusing finger at the still restrained Adam.

"As I'm sure he's told you, repeatedly and at excruciating length, your universe is but one of many." Kim nodded. "All of which are polluted with multiple versions of him and his kin," the voice went on.

"Not quite the way he put it, but yes," Kim allowed.

The voice chuckled. "At any rate, one of the dumber Adams of the multiverse got it in his head that I was plotting the downfall of House Marcae."

"Where you?" Kim inquired. She could practically see the speaker shaking her (Her? Kim wondered suddenly.) head. "Why bother? True, they're annoying, pretentious, inbred and cretinous, but they're also easily manipulated. I've never had any trouble managing them, so why waste the effort it would take to destroy them?"

"But you did," Kim challenged.

"Like I said, they attacked me. At any rate, once that particular Adam got the notion, he went about selling the others on the idea. I got wind of it, of course, and protested my innocence, but that only seemed to fuel their suspicions."

Kim couldn't help but smile. "I can see that," she said, drawing a glare from Adam.

"So they massed theirs armies and allies and attacked."

"Why not attack you in each separate reality? Why'd they group up?" Kim probed.

Adam spoke for the first time. "Because she's not like us, Kim. The various versions of me are separate individuals. She, on the other hand, while _present_ in all realities, is a unique being. Anywhere you happen to run across her, it's always her, not a counterpart."

"That," the voice agreed, "and this is the only reality in which I have an estate. Naturally, they assumed it was my 'stronghold' and threw themselves at it headlong."

"But it wasn't a stronghold," Kim deduced.

"Of course not. I have no need for something as tacky and useless as a fancy house. I came by the estate by accident. I didn't even want it, really, but circumstances sort of forced me to accept it."

"Then why...?"

"Because I took an oath, Kim, to govern and protect. I don't make promises lightly. If you manage to pry one out of me I keep it, no matter what."

"So you did all this?" Kim asked, gesturing at the miles upon miles of death and devastation.

"Oh Heavens, no," the voice demurred. "My soldiers did most of this. People tend to get a bit angry when you attack their homes and families, you understand, and the first rule in the Marcae book of warfare is 'indiscriminate bombardment'. I concentrated on killing Marcaes." As the last words were spoken the shadowy tendrils morphed into the figure of a woman clad all in black, with long, dark hair, pale skin and deep, dark eyes.

"I knew it was you!" Adam exalted smugly. He seemed pleased with himself, as if he'd put something over on the new arrival. The woman crossed to him, cupping his chin with one hand.

"Do you really think you can trick me into anything?" she asked, her voice terrifyingly pleasant.

"I suppose you're two steps ahead of me, aren't you?" Adam sneered, his tone making Kim doubt his sanity. When they had met at Adam's party the woman had been warm and friendly. Not a trace of that was in evidence now. She seemed to radiate malevolence.

"More like two hundred," she replied casually.

"So you killed them," Kim said. "Won't they just be reborn?"

The woman shook her head. "I took special precautions in that regard." She smiled coldly. "The multiverse is largely Marcae free now."

"Largely?" Kim repeated.

The woman shrugged. "There may have been a few who were smart enough, or self-absorbed enough, to not show up. If so I'm not going to waste time hunting them down." At Kim's questioning look the woman explained. "Unlike him," she said, gesturing at Adam, "I don't go overboard. I do no less than is necessary, but no more, either. If they didn't take part in the attack they are obviously no immediate threat, and so, not worth bothering about."

"So you're not going to kill him?" Kim asked, hardly daring allow herself to hope.

The woman scoffed. "He hasn't attacked me, has he? No, I'm not going to kill him." She frowned suddenly. "Interesting. A temporal vortex is about to form around you. Apparently, whatever brought you here is getting ready to move you on." She turned her attention to Adam. "Learn from this," she commanded. "If someone invites you to join a crusade, just say no! Who knows, if you can talk sense into your counterparts, maybe you can keep this from ever happening," she said, jerking her head at the battlefield. She stepped back.

Reality began to spin. The world around Kim and Adam swirled, the images coming apart like fog scattering before a wind. The ground dropped out from under them and they fell toward...


	4. Chapter 4

"Ow..." Slamming into a stone floor, Adam grunted sharply, followed by Kim sliding into him, and pressing him against the stone pillar.

"Sorry, now where are we?" Kim queried. Before Adam could answer, a voice resounded throughout the cavernous room.

"You now reside within the Castle Home of Lord Triaxx. Who are you?" The voice, which seemed to have no source, resounded off the stone pillars, that held a ceiling so high it was well out of site. So massive was the room, it was impossible to see the walls. Kim swallowed slightly, and then spoke, her voice carrying only a litle.

"Kimberly Ann Possible." Instantly, as if it was waiting for that response, a ball of light formed. From it stepped a man, perhaps six feet in height. His hair was streaked black and silver, and he was dressed in clothes of the deepest grey. A terrifically massive sword hung from his back, a belt wrapped twice around his chest holding it's scabbard in place. He seemed to have the carriage of a man who knew, in the very deepest part of his soul, that he commanded more power than most people could ever dream of.

"Greetings, Kimberly Anne Possible. I am Lord Triaxx." He bowed low, so much so that he almost touched the floor. Kim returned the bow and then smiled, shivering slightly. "Let us adjourn to my study." The air seemed to shimmer and within moments, they stood in a large room, the floors lined with a thick shag carpeting of a deep tan, and walls painted a warm red, tempered by a lighter blue border. A huge fireplace burned brightly, as a storm beat against the huge window. Adam pushed to his feet, and bowed to Triaxx.

"Master." He spoke reverently, uncommonly cowed. Lord Triaxx sniffed.

"You've made a right mess of things, haven't you?" He grunted, and seemed on the verge of turning Adam into a frog. He seemed to gain control after a moment, and turned back to Kim. "First, allow me to apologize for Adam."

"You kind of get used to him being an idiot after a while." Kim shrugged. Lord Triaxx laughed.

"The entire group is a largely flawed project, some more than others. Rejoice, you got one of the better ones." Kim gave him a sour look, that conveyed volumes of disgust. "I am kidding, this one is no worse than most, and better than some. Only one still retains the rather considered temperment I hoped would come through in the others, but it's of little concern."

"What about this woman, Jezrianna?" Kim asked. "Do you know her?"

"I know of her, we have not yet had occasion to meet. She is a very powerful... something. As some of the Adam's found out. I was watching, as you met her in that future. It has been... invalidated." Kim looked at him sharply, startled that he could affect the future so powerfully. He seemed to realize what she was startled over. "The simplest effect, has the greatest consequence. I simply killed the Adam that convinced the other's. I know who it was that convinced him. An ages old adversary of mine. He used that one weak, imperfect Adam, to bring about the downfall of my most loyal followers, both House Marcae, and UCS. And he used Jezrianna to do it. A rather impressive move in our game of chess."

"Chess?" Kim asked, startled again. Lord Triaxx shrugged.

"As good a name as any. It's a bit more galactic, and we've been playing since before time began, even technically. We each play differently, and each to our strengths. The Lance leads by pure force of will, and always takes a hand in any confrontation. I prefer to stand behind my allies, lending my power to them to use, instead of using it myself. House Marcae, has always been my staunchest ally. From the house, I picked Adam, because unlike the others, he had no potential. He was working border security, when I found him. Chopping trees, and chopping heads. He didn't realize, but from our first encounter, I marked him. Unlike the others of his house, he did not crave power for the sake of power. He wanted it to protect, to aid. Of his family, only Andrew holds this quality. But he's already occupied with house affairs, and I'd rather not try and pick him out and train him."

"Wait a minute, were you there, in Marcae's dimension, when the Drago... whoever's attacked?" Kim asked, remembering the party.

"No. Triaxx was." Kim stared at him. "Sorry, I do that. I am Lord Triaxx. The other is Triaxx. He was at one time, my Avatar. After I gained power enough to walk around on my own, he split. He still retains vast amounts of power, but he's nothing more than a human with considerable power. However, he is one of three beings capable of wielding this." Lord Triaxx touched the sword on his back.

"Okay. So why are we here?" Kim asked.

"I had to make an explanation to you about certain things. Besides, I wanted to meet the famous Kim Possible." He smiled slightly. "Could I have an autograph?" Kim laughed.

"Sure." She signed a picture for him. "Alright, two more things. Are we going to get home?" She asked the man. He nodded.

"Oh yes, that's certain. It'll take a while, but you will get home. Just remember one thing. The time comes, when you'll have to make a decision, that will cause death. Remember that death is not an end, but a beginning. Oh, and take this." Lord Triaxx pulled a small ring, made of twisted bands of sliver and gold. "It's a Ring of Infravision. It's a little more precise than infrared goggles, and it's not as sensitive to explosions."

"Thank you, I... don't know what to say." Kim replied. Lord Triaxx smiled widely.

"Just promise you'll kick him in the nuts once in a while." He pointed to Adam. Kim nodded.

"Count on it." Kim answered.

"And the second thing?" Lord Triaxx asked.

"What's with the big room?" Kim asked. Lord Triaxx laughed.

"Portal room. Portal's are inaccurate by nature, and most people like to have lots of room to land, and avoid landing in a wall." He grinned. Kim chuckled and swallowed. Moments later, Kim and Adam were moving through the portal.

* * *

The Legend of the Shriik-Ta takes place here, and then continues in this next chapter. 


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter is courtesy of fellow author Allaine, and is the missing piece of the final chapter of his story If you Build a Better Monkey.

* * *

Kim opened her eyes and felt her cheek pressing against cold stone. A large weight was on top of her. "Hey, Adam?" she said, her voice slightly muffled. "Mind getting off of me? This isn't exactly a Persian rug."

"Sorry," he said, climbing off of her and helping her to her feet. "Oh, great," Adam added, as they took a look around and immediately noticed that their surroundings looked like something out of a Middle Ages dungeon. "Looks like another trip through Renaissance Faire Land."

"Maybe not," Kim said. "From the look of the coat of arms on the wall over there, I'd say we ended up a little closer to home."

Adam followed her gaze and spotted the driver and pitching wedge criss-crossed atop a shield. "We're in Duff Killagan's castle," he realized. "At least, I hope so."

"Hope so?" Kim asked, raising an eyebrow. "You got a sudden craving for haggis?"

"Just for our home dimension," Adam replied. "And if this is someplace else, who KNOWS whose castle this is?"

"Guess we'd better investigate," Kim sighed. "Let's hope we see Duff before he sees us."

Before they could move, however, the stone floor trembled as the sound of an explosion echoed in the distance. And then there was another.

"Maybe he built an indoor driving range," Adam said dryly.

"He can blow up his own castle all he likes," Kim responded as the two rushed down the hall in the direction of the continuing explosions.

They both braked to a stop as one wall of the corridor ended, giving them a view of the room below. It was spacious with a high ceiling - probably used as the throne room back when nobility lived there. Duff was in the center of the room, driving golf balls at a fast rate toward a part of the room they couldn't see from their vantage point. "Well, that's Duff, all right," Adam whispered.

"Not OUR Duff, though," Kim said, disappointed. "Look at his arm!"

At first Adam didn't see what she meant, but then he realized that Duff's right arm didn't look normal. There were metal patches at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. It was a prosthetic arm, albeit one that moved with the same ease as his old one. "Maybe he's trying to kill Dr. Kimble," he joked.

Kim groaned.

"At least we can get out of here now," Adam pointed out. "This isn't where we want to be."

"But someone's in trouble down there!" Kim reminded him, turning to look at him. "We should help them."

Adam frowned, but then he looked up. "Kim, look out!"

Kim turned back and spotted a wayward golf ball sailing right at them. "Oof!" she grunted as Adam shoved her aside. The golf ball landed at his feet and exploded, sending him flying backwards. He hit the wall hard, and a silver trophy attached to the wall was jarred loose. It fell straight down and landed on his head, knocking Adam out cold.

"Great, just GREAT," Kim growled. "Just for that, Duff, you're going down."

* * *

Duff looked above at the smoke-filled balcony. "Och, I cannae believe I sliced that," he muttered, squinting. "Oh well." 

Then he returned to the task at hand - which was raining exploding golf balls on Team Possible's heads.

"You could have told us he had a bionic arm!" Kim grumbled at Shego. "I figured we were going up against a one-armed golfer!"

"Hey, I didn't even know he lost an arm!" Shego retorted as they retreated further into the twisting staircase that had led them into Duff's main hall. "I was being held captive by a family of psychopaths, remember?"

A golf ball landed just a few feet away and exploded, and they coughed from the smoke. "We can't stay here forever," Kim said.

"How about running? I've found running to be really useful in situations like this," Ron suggested.

"We've been looking for Duff for months!" Shego snarled. "I'm not letting him escape today."

"No one's running OR escaping," Kim said. "Shego, go back downstairs and find another way up. All we need to do is hit him from two different directions, and he doesn't have a chance. Ron - "

"Decoy?"

"No, I'll be the decoy," she told him. "I can dodge those balls better. Once I've distracted him, follow me. Three different directions is even better than two."

"Kimmie," Shego began to say.

"Just do like I said," Kim told her, grinning. "I mean, exploding golf balls? No big. And SO five years ago!"

Shego nodded reluctantly and ran up the steps.

"You got any problems with the plan?" Kim asked Ron.

He shook his head. "Anyone's stoppable," Ron said with a smile, "for a Stoppable."

Kim chuckled before timing the barrage of golf balls perfectly, tumbling across the floor of the hall.

"Aye, so there's the wee gopher now," Duff growled, turning to focus his attacks on the leaping Kim. He never saw Ron emerge from the stairs and take refuge behind a table that had fallen over.

"Gopher?" Kim shot back as she snatched up another of Duff's golf clubs. "Sorry, Team Possible has enough rodents." She somersaulted in the air and threw the club like a javelin, burying the graphite head in Duff's soft gut. He doubled over as every last bit of air was knocked from his body.

Kim was about to leap forward and finish him off when movement from above stopped her. She watched as a lithe figure in mission clothes sailed down from the balcony over her and bowled Duff over with a kick to the face. "All right, Shego!" she called out.

The other person turned around, surprised. "Huh?"

They stared at each other. "You're - you're me!" Kim gasped. Then she smacked her forehead. "Oh great, not another clone."

"I'm not a clone," the other Kim said quickly, holding out her hands. "Please don't throw soda on me."

Kim looked a little more closely and noticed she was slightly different. "You're - older, aren't you?"

The other Kim nodded. "You're, what, early twenties? I'm a few years older than you then."

"Let me guess - Time Monkey?"

But the other Kim just looked quizzical.

"Ach, me head," Duff groaned, getting onto his knees. "You must have kicked me harder than I thought, lass. It's like I'm seeing two of you!"

"Dude, it's not just you."

Duff looked behind him. "You mean there are two Kims?" he asked Ron.

Ron nodded slowly. "I guess so." Then he blinked. "Oh, I almost forgot." He raised the heavy metal shield in the air and brought it down solidly on Duff's head, knocking him unconscious. "He'll probably be seeing four of you by the time he wakes up," he added. "Clone? Time traveler?"

"Dimension traveler, actually," the new Kim sighed. "I'm trying to find my home world. I hoped maybe this was it."

"Maybe I'm your past," this world's Kim suggested as she came over.

"Does the name Adam mean anything to you?" older Kim asked.

"I don't think so. Ever heard of the Acceptable Family?"

"Nope. Guess I'm not your future - oh my God, Adam! I've got to check on him!"

"Wait, who?" Kim asked as her twin ran past her. "What's going on? Why are you here?"

"Wish I knew. You coming?"

Kim and Ron looked at each other as Kim's double waited impatiently. "This is going to be one of those days, isn't it?" Ron asked.

"Probably," Kim sighed.

"So not the drama," her alternate self assured them as she clambered up onto the balcony. She looked down at them. "Er, why are you dressed like Shego?"

Kim looked down at her tight green-and-black cat suit. "I lost a bet," she said simply.

"Oh, but you tell HER why you're wearing that," Ron grumbled.

The other Kim evidently was tired of waiting, though, and she disappeared from view. The other two quickly followed.

Shego leapt down into the hall a few moments after they hurried out. "All right, PUFF, where - is everybody?" she asked, her anger quickly being replaced by confusion. Duff was out cold, but where was everyone else?

* * *

"So some kind of portal was accidentally opened, and now you and this Adam person are trying to find your way home?" the younger Kim asked. 

"Yep," Kim said as she finished bandaging Adam's head. "We can try another world after Adam comes to."

"What the fuck?"

Everyone raised their heads and saw Shego standing in the corridor. "It's kind of a long story, Shego," her Kim said.

"Clone?"

"No, actually - "

"Tempus Simia?"

"What's this Tempus Simia you keep talking about?" Kim asked curiously.

"Like I said," her younger counterpart said, "long story. Shego, she's from a parallel dimension and she's trying to find her way home. This is Adam, a friend of hers."

Shego frowned. "Boyfriend?"

Kim chuckled.

The Kim tending to Adam blinked. Shego seemed oddly irritated by the notion. "It's - complicated," she said vaguely. "We go on missions together." She took in Shego's turtleneck and olive cargo pants. "Don't tell me, you lost a bet too?"

"It was more of a draw," Shego said defensively.

"Whoa, what about me?" Ron asked, surprised. "Aren't I your friend back home?"

She smiled. "Since pre-K," she promised him. "Shego helps in my world too. Um, I take it you're not enemies here either?"

"Not any more," younger-Kim said.

"Although when Kimmie hogs the covers, I can't be held liable for any damage I cause," Shego added wickedly.

The eyes of the dimensional double grew wider, and she looked from Shego's evil grin to her double's more sheepish expression. "You and Shego . . ."

"Yeah," Kim said. "We've been in a relationship for a while now. Didn't want to startle you."

"I did," Shego said.

"Oh, I'm not startled," the older version said. "I just kind of figured that my relationship with Shego back home was a little more unique."

Adam's eyes suddenly opened. "Did I just hear Kim and Shego are having sex!"

"Adam!" older-Kim said, relieved enough that she ignored his comment. "You're awake."

"Hey, what red-blooded male wouldn't be revived by talk of some girl-on-girl action?" Adam said evilly.

Kim jabbed him with her elbow. "Pervert," she replied, smiling.

"I just hope I get to tell Shego when we get back home before you do," he shot back with a grin. Then he did a double take. "Am I hallucinating, or are they wearing each other's clothes?"

"You're not hallucinating, so I guess you're going to live," his Kim said. "IF I don't kill you first." She helped him to his feet. He swayed for a moment but righted himself.

"Wait, wait," the other Kim said, finally getting a word in. "You're involved with Shego in your world too?"

"How could we be the only ones to think of something so right?" Shego asked, chuckling.

"Like I said, it's complicated," the older Kim said. "It's been that way ever since the three of us were alone one time and - " She leaned over and whispered something in the ear of her younger self.

The other Kim suddenly turned a deep shade of red. "Oh," she whispered.

"Kimmie?" Shego asked. She waved a hand in front of Kim's face. "You broke my Kimmie," she complained.

"You up for another try?" older-Kim said to Adam.

"Just give me a second," Adam said, testing his head gingerly. "What hit me anyway?"

"One of Duff's trophies," she told him. "What did happen to Duff? That was a prosthetic arm, wasn't it?"

"He had an accident a few years ago," younger-Kim said, shaking her head briefly. "Considering this is a guy who works with exploding golf balls, I'm surprised he hasn't lost a lot more." She paused. "We should go back and tie him up before he - "

"Already taken care of," Shego said. "Had to do something, since you finished him off before I could get there," she added, pouting.

"Maybe I can help you work off some of that excess energy when we get back," younger-Kim offered.

Her older self grinned when she realized what Kim was suggesting. It sounded like this Kim's sex life was plenty exciting as it was. "Um, on that note, maybe we should get going."

"Hey, thanks for the help," the younger Kim said, holding out her hand. "Nice working with you. I mean with me. Oh, you know."

"Hooshah," the other Kim agreed, shaking her hand. "Good luck with Shego. You'll need it."

"Hey!" Shego said.

"Amen to that," Ron said.

"Again, hey!"

"Don't tell me you're the only guy in this Team Possible," Adam said to Ron.

"I'm the only one. Plus sometimes Monique helps out," Ron told him.

"You and THREE girls? Ouch."

"Okay, maybe you should cast that spell before you get hurt all over again," Kim warned him.

His smile only grew broader. "Aye aye, captain."

"Spell?" Shego asked.

Adam stepped away from the others so he had some room. A moment later everyone but himself and the younger Kim took a step back in surprise. "Whoa," Ron said.

"Whoa," Rufus agreed, poking his head out of Ron's pocket.

"Uh-huh," his fellow mole rat Ruby chimed in.

"So this is a good life you're living?" older-Kim asked as she was about to enter the portal.

Kim smiled and took Ron and Shego's hands in her own. "It's a great life," she said. "Yours?"

"Great," the other Kim echoed before waving. "Can't wait to get back to it."

"Good luck," Kim told her.

"Thanks," Adam said. "You too." He glanced at his Kim. "Did I just see two naked mole rats?" he murmured.

A few seconds later, it was like they were never there.

"Did that really just happen?" Ron asked.

"Think they'll make it back?" Shego added.

Kim smiled. "Anything's possible."

To be continued . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Snow provides, fortunately, a much softer landing than concrete. Mind you it's a rathe cold landing, but even so, it's soft. Two whump's were all the sound that issued forth from the two bodies slamming into the snow. Kim leapt to her feet, the cold reaching her instantly, and then a wind whipping across the snow catching her unprepared. Even her mission clothes were unsuitable for such a hazardous enviroment, and she knew it. She kicked Adam in the ribs, and he pushed to his feet.

"Sorry, zoned out for a moment." He apologized, and looked around. The liquid form of the Exo-armor was already wrapping around his form, and he pulled off his jacket to give to her. It wouldn't last long in this chill wind, and both knew it.

"Where and when are we?" Kim asked, looking around. All she could see was snow for miles, even though it was night. The moon was bright, but the temperature was well below freezing. Frostbite would set in soon.

"Where is easy. We're near the north pole, and it's around december. The year isn't important, but..." He peered through the snow that had suddenly started to fall.

"A house?" Kim asked, suddenly seeing a tall wide building. It was odd that a house was this far north, but she realized, that considering all she'd seen, and done, and the fact that she was being randomly thrown from one dimension to another with Adam, meant that it was most likely the house of one S. Claus.

"Nick!" Adam exclaimed. "That's why we're here."

"Santa?" Kim asked. Adam nodded grinning boyishly. "What's he got to do with it?"

"First of all, his place is warm, and I think I know why we're here, come on." He started off through the snow. The cold and the wind left Kim little choice, and she followed in his wake, letting him break a trail. The house turned out, to be connected to a massive complex, of which there was only one level visible, but Kim suspected more was lain under ground. The entire thing seemed to be sitting on a solid land mass, though there shouldn't be one at the north pole. A few dozen feet out from the entrance, a shield was in place, giving the ground around the entire complex a snow free zone. The pair passed through with ease, as if it wasn't there. As they approached the front door, it opened. A large gun barrel poked out at them.

"Who are you?" A distinctly female voice asked, as they threw they're hands up. Exo-armor or no, Santa's guns were dangerous.

"Victoria? It's Adam." Kim glanced at him sharply. The gun barrel withdrew, and an eye appeared.

"Who's she?" Came the voice again.

"Kim Possible." Kim answered unsteadily. The door opened wide, revealing an young woman, with midnight black hair, carrying a massive shotgun, of 3, or 4 ga. "Who are you?"

"Victoria Claus." The woman answered, opening the door wide, and waving them in, using the hand holding the gun. They stepped into the warmth of the house, and the armor fell away. "What are you doing dressed in such unappropriate clothing?" The woman asked, looking them up and down.

"We're riding Mr. Fixit." Adam answered, and the old woman nodded.

"So, it's still working after all these years?" He nodded in reply, and she laughed wryly.

"Excuse me, but Victoria Claus?" Kim asked, the old woman nodded. "Mrs. Claus?" The woman shook her head.

"Miss Claus. You're thinking of my mother." She replied, settling the massive shotgun to the table. "I'm really glad you're here. My parents have been taken."

"Taken?" Kim asked. Victoria nodded.

"Ever heard of the Grinch?" Kim nodded, feeling suddenly distinctly silly. "He's a nice guy compared to the High Roller. He accused my father of commercializing Christmas, and tried to make him stop making his deliveries. My father refused, and a few days ago, he and my mother were taken as they came back from the elves workshop. It's not connected to the house, and they were walking across the lawn. Two huge men dropped down from nowhere, grabbed them and disappeared, before I could get to them." Victoria replied.

"That's awful, do you know where they were taken?" Kim asked. Victoria shook her head. "Can you think of anyway to find them?" Kim asked. Victoria leaned back, and though about it a moment.

"Yes, there is one way. The compass." She rose to her feet, carrying the shotgun, and led them through the house, to a locked vault. It opened at her touch, and she reached inside. From a black box, she pulled a golden compass, ornately decorated, and shaped as a pentagon. Two arrows, one red, the other green, overlapped each other, and pointed south. Victoria passed Kim the compass.

"What day is it?" Adam asked suddenly. Kim had momentarily forgotten him.

"December 23rd." Victoria replied worriedly. Kim nodded, understandingly. Christmas was two days away, and she was worried, not only for her parents, but for the entire world.

"Then we have one day to save them." Kim asserted. "Is there a Ron in this world?" She asked Adam. He shook his head.

"Just us. No one else exists." He sighed. Kim looked at him with penetrating eyes.

"Then I guess we'll have to be stealthy about it." She replied. He sighed miserably.

"I hate when she says that." He confided to Victoria. "Better have the Sleigh ready when we get back, your father might have to go straight out."

* * *

Three hours later the two were racing south over an expanse of the pacific ocean, following the compass as it unwaveringly pointed them south. Suddenly it reversed directions, and Kim called a halt. Adam set them down on a nearby island, obviously from a freshly erupted volcano. "What's wrong?" Adam asked. Kim showed him the compass.

"We must have gone right over the top of them." Kim answered. "But that's impossible, I was watching the water the whole time. I'd have seen an island or ship." Adam reached up, and touched the side of his eye piece, and looked out across the ocean.

"I don't see anything, on infrared, or electromagnetic. Even if it were cloaked, I'd be able to see powerfields, or the heat from a reactor." He answered. Kim glanced down.

"What about underwater?" He looked again, and shook his head.

"Nothing, but it's pretty deep, and water does funny things to infrared, even accounting for the fact that we're on the Circle of Fire." Adam shrugged. Kim started, and then something deep in her mind clicked. Circle of Fire? The ring of volcanoes around the pacific?

"Are there any dormant volcanoes nearby?" She asked suddenly. He flickered his eyes around, and pointed.

"Three, one about two miles north, one a few miles east, and a couple south, why?" He asked.

"Perhaps that's where they've been taken. Even dormant, there would be a lot of heat built up inside the volcano, wouldn't there?" He nodded. "And Geothermal energy doesn't produce much of a residual heat signature, does it?"

"Not if it's inside solid rock." He added, shaking his head slightly. "And if there's a fair content of iron, even in a liquid state, it would confuse any electromagnetic search device."

"The compass says due north, so..." He wrapped an arm around her waist. "Let's go." The scram's exploded north wards, and minutes later, they were hovering over the dormant volcano. "HOW DO WE GET IN?" Kim called over the sound of the scrams.

"ONE WAY, DIVE!" He replied. "READY?" She nodded, and the jets cut out completely. Diving in two hundred pounds of excess armor is not an entertaining prospect, so as soon as they hit the water, the armor swallowed itself up, and reformed into an open minisub, pulling them along towards the mountain, and the nearest cavern. Breathing was solved as a problem, when the sub extended two breathers. While they couldn't breath water, the armor could, and did, producing oxygen as a by product, and using the saltwater for fuel. The carbon-dioxide was remixed into the water as it was released. Surfacing in the cave was a surprise, as a massive sub sat in the dock. Kim led the way around it, staying low to avoid the patrolling guards, before slipping out and across the floor. The water dripped along the floor behind her, but the rocking of the sub meant the ground was constantly wet. Adam waited for the guard again, and slipped across silently. The doors out were guarded, but the airvents weren't Kim started to grab one to yank it free, but a tap on the shoulder stopped her. He passed her a screw driver, and she pried it out instead. As soon as she did so, all hell broke loose. The vent was wired with an alarm, and a bright red light flared to life over head. Kim grabbed Adam, and shoved him into the vent, then attacked the guards. He slid away as she distracted them, before she was caught from behind with the butt of a rifle. She crumpled to the floor.

"What do we do with her?" One of the guards asked the man with the rifle.

"Take her to the boss. That's the only thing we can do. We don't even know who she is." He answered, peering down the vent. "I'll take her. Some one put this back, and then go back to your patrol." He ordered. He slung Kim over his shoulder, and grunted as she landed. Adam watched from around a corner, and then slid away, swearing silently.


	7. Chapter 7

Kim groaned, and opened her eyes, finding herself strapped into a chair, she looked groggily around, but recognized nothing. Slowly, some of her memory returned, and she sighed softly.

"Ah, finally awake at last." Came a voice that while sinister, didn't sound all that terrifyingly evil. Of course, Drakken could be nasty, and he sounded more annoying than evil. "You'll have to excuse me for the accomodations, but I don't know who you are, and so I don't have a proper detention cell for you."

"The name, is Kim Possible." Kim answered, realizing how pointless it probably was. Adam had probably left by now, he was a self-proclaimed coward after all.

"Kim Possible..." The man, about five foot, two inches, and no more than maybe a hundred and fifty pounds, soaking wet, seemed to consider the name for a moment. "Sorry, never heard of you. Are you new?"

"Sort of." Kim answered, with a sort of indifferent shrug, at least as much of a shrug as her current predicament allowed for. "I'm really only passing through, but I try and fight evil wherever I go." She answered. No point in lying to him.

"Ah, one of those. I don't suppose you'd reconsider attempting to stop me?" He asked politely. Kim shook her head. "Ah well, I..." She never heard the end of the sentence, as his body guard slammed a massive steel gloved fist into the side of the man's head. He crumpled to the floor, and the guard removed his helmet. Adam grinned at her, as he pushed the release for the chair. The straps disappeared instantly.

"What took you so long?" Kim asked glaring flatly at him, as she retrieved her belt, and equipment.

"Sorry, I had to take out a guard, and then work my way close enough to hit him." He indicated the unconscious villain. "There's a tiny problem though." He pushed the villain under the table with his foot.

"What sort of problem?" Kim asked.

"They've been trying to beat secrets out of the Claus'." Adam answered. Kim started. "She can't walk, and he's got a broken arm." Kim swore violently.

"Then how can we get out of here?" Adam shook his head.

"I don't know, you're the leader." He answered, and she kicked him. Since he wasn't wearing armor, he doubled over, and hit the floor. Of course, she hadn't hit him that hard, but he was going to play it for all it was worth. She ignored him.

"We'll take their sub, and go back that way. Can you run it?" Adam pushed to his feet, rubbing where she'd kicked him.

"Yeah, looks like a surplus Russian sub, so as long as we aren't being trailed, I can run it." He answered with a slight shrug. "We'll have to move as fast as possible though, if they find out we've got the Claus', we're going to have to fight our way out." He sighed. "Why me?"

"What?" Kim wondered.

"Why is it, everywhere I go with you, turn's into a firefight?" Adam asked, and then ducked back from her. "Let's go, before we get discovered." He suggested. Kim lead the way.

The holding cells weren't far away, and the fight with the guards was short and brutal, but ultimately very quiet. At Kim's insistence, Adam pretended to be bringing her in, and then they surprised the guards. The Claus' were freed in short order, and as they moved out, Kim found herself carrying Mrs. Claus.

"When we get out, I'll have to thank you and your boyfriend for rescuing us." She whispered to Kim. Kim snorted.

"That's not my boyfriend. He's an idiot I picked up somewhere along the way." She replied darkly. Mrs. Claus was silent.

The escape didn't go quite as planned, though it came out better than expected. They did notice that they were taking the boat, but only as they were diving down. Gunfire erupted, and punctured the hull across the nose of the ship. Adam slammed the throttles backwards, and the sub tipped backwards. Two alarms went off as he dived out the entrance. He swore, and spoke violently in a language that Kim didn't recognize. The alarms shut off after a moment, and the sub dove even faster. After a moment he levelled it off and then pushed the throttles forwards. Kim felt as the ship hit the surface, coming up over the water. Adam spoke in the language again, and moment's later the Exo-armor walked in from one of the forward compartments under it's own power. Kim started, as did the Claus.

"Go back, and watch the reactor, I'm running on the surface, so I have to be in the driver's seat." Adam spoke to the armor, which nodded headlessly, and walked past the others.

"Alright, that's creepy." Kim stated, shuddering.

"Sorry, forgot to mention that." Adam apologized, carefully watching radar, and sonar. The trip back to the pole was mostly uneventful, until they reached the workshop. They were met with a dozen well armed elves, and Victoria. Appearently someone had been busy, because they were packing a fully armed US M1A2 Abrams. Kim poked her head out the hatch.

"You're back." Victoria grinned, dropping her gun.

* * *

"So, now what?" Victoria asked, as the Toothfairy, a remarkably accomplished doctor, finished examining her father. "Do we have to cancel Christmas?" He couldn't drive the sleigh with one arm, and while he could get down the chimney, he couldn't carry the sack.

"No, of course not, there's only one choice." He looked pointedly at Kim and Adam. Kim stared at him for a moment.

"Sick and wrong." Was all Adam managed. Two hours later though...

"I think it works pretty well." He commented turning around in the suit, which had change his dimensions, and would shift them back as soon as he took it off. Victoria was going to drive the Sleigh, and Adam and Kim would pass out the presents.

"I'm not wearing this." Kim announced.

"The elves made it specially for you." Victoria replied. They were on the other side of the door, so Adam simply stood there, waiting.

"How could they..." Kim stopped. "Oh, right, magic elves. I'm still not wearing it.

"Why don't we let him decide." Victoria replied, and opened the door. She was wearing a thick fur suit in red and white, with a certified flyer patch on the right side of the jacket. Kim on the other hand, was wearing a red tanktop trimmed with fur, and pants of the same red, with the same trim. She even had white gloves. She glared at Adam, who kept his smile hidden in the beard. "Well?"

"Isn't that a bit... chilly?" Adam asked. Kim snorted in agreement.

"Not really," Victoria replied. "It's magically insulated to protect from the sickness of rapid temperature changes, and the sleigh has a wind screen bubble." She shrugged. Kim glared at the back of her head.

"Tell you what Kim, you wear the Santa suit, and I'll be the sexy elf." He struck a hilarious pose, which caused Victoria to break out into laughter, and Kim to growl softly.

"Fine, let's go..." Kim snapped.

Flying in a sleigh is a once in a lifetime experience. The reindeer seemed to be more than a bit miffed at having to carry three people, instead of one. Victoria chuckled as she tapped the reins. The reindeer made a concerted effort, and didn't go anywhere. She growled, and stepped out of the sleigh. She walked to the front of the line, and leaned down, speaking softly into ear of the reindeer on the left. It snorted once, and then grunted, and she walked back. Kim looked at her inquiringly.

"Comet is tempermental. He doesn't like to work for his chow. I explained the eat chow, or be chow theory." Victoria answered, snapping the reins. The sleigh lifted off easily and they were under way. Roughly a second and a half later, they were at the first house. "Time compression. Go for it." Was all the explanation they got, and then they plunged into the task. In fact, accounting for the rotation of the earth, it only took them around four hours to complete the run. As they swept back over the ocean for the northward run, Kim settled into her seat with a sigh.

"Does it usually take this short of a time to make the run?" Kim asked, and Victoria laughed, shaking her head.

"Nah, Dad does it in two hours, and twenty-nine minutes, when he's feeling ill. His record is an hour and fourty-five minutes." She grinned. Kim stared at her. "He's been doing it for ever, he's got the magic of Christmas down to a science." She laughed out loud. The sleigh swept down, and onto the already cleared runway. Not that it was more than a section with less snow than the other sections, but it was still a runway. A few minutes later, the three were in the house, heading up the stairs to change clothes. Waiting in the next room, was a near vat of hot chocolate. Even considering the heat of the suits the heat was appreciated.

"You'll stay at least the night?" Victoria asked them. Adam glanced over at Kim and she nodded with a grateful smile.

"Of course we will." Kim replied.

* * *

"Merry Christmas." Adam chuckled, as he stepped out of his room, watching Kim do same from her room. "Ready to go?" He asked.

"Yeah, we've done enough, haven't we?" Kim asked. He nodded in reply. Victoria was already down stairs, and she smiled.

"Leaving?" She asked, looking up from the card game she was playing. Kim nodded. "Alright, take care. I don't suppose I'll ever see you again?" She asked quietly. Kim shrugged.

"I don't know for sure, and it might not even be the same me. But I might be able to come back and see you." She glared pointedly at Adam.

"Don't worry about it Victoria. You'll see her again. I can almost guarantee it." He grinned.

"Oh, I've got presents for the two of you." She reached around the table, and picked up two boxes, one large, the other smaller. She handed the larger one to Adam, and the smaller one to Kim. Adam's turned up to be a belt, with airships around the length. Kim's on the other hand, didn't appear to be all that special, until she realized what it was.

"My armor?" It was the armor Adam had given her, several years earlier. "How did they?"

"Magic elves, remember?" Victoria answered, with a slight smile. Adam reached into his coat, and pulled two small packages. Victoria opened hers, and found a small silver and gold ring, with a brilliant ruby in the center. Kim found a near identical ring, except it held a brightly polished piece of obsidian.

"Rings of communication, keyed to each other. I don't know if you'll be able to see each other with them, but you'll be able to talk at least." He shrugged. "I enchanted them last night."

"I feel... bad, I haven't got anything to give you." Kim told Victoria. "You, I don't feel I owe you anything. You got me into this mess after all." She glared at Adam.

"But if he hadn't we wouldn't have met, would we?" Victoria pointed out.

"I guess not." Kim admitted. Ten minutes later, they were standing outside the shield bubble, because they couldn't leave from inside. Kim hugged Victoria good-bye, as Adam opened the portal. After they were gone, the air cleared, and Victoria smiled sadly.


	8. End of the Road

The ground was hard when they stepped onto it and the portal seemed reluctant to close, but it faded away after a minute. "Oh." Kim looked at Adam, wonderingly. "End of the road."

"You mean we're back?"

"Not quite. There's one thing left to do. Then we're home." he walked forwards, leading her through the valley. She threw a glance behind them and saw only stark gray mountains disappearing into the clouds high above. There seemed no way in, except the portal that brought them, and no way out except the path ahead. A few hundred yards, the path was marked with a sharp turn. Adam stepped straight out and then turned. Kim stepped around the corner. "Behold. The Pillars of Eternity." he said it in a sonorous voice. She turned to look at him.

"What are they?" they, were two massive stone columns like the mountains they rose straight up into the clouds, disappearing from view.

"The Pillars of Eternity." he shrugged. "The Gateposts of Heaven. The Portal to Hell. The Tavern of the End of the Adventure." he chuckled mirthlessly. "What's through them is different to everyone, but they are an ending. For us, we'll see... a defining moment. Something that's shaped us into who and what we are. It's different every time we pass."

"So we have to go through?"

"Yes." he took a deep breath. "There's no other way out. Portals won't work. The only thing that can get us out is passing through the pillars."

"Then let's go." she took two steps, and turned when he didn't follow. "What?"

"We have to go one at a time. I'll be along in just a moment." he waved her ahead. She walked forwards. As she approached she could see the pillars were not just one stone, but many. Granite, marble, shale, and others, all fused together as if they were always the same rock. The surface was rough and pitted, as if beaten by millennia of weather. She turned her head just as she reached the center point. The world flashed and faded.

* * *

"Yay! We'we going to see Gwampa!" Kim bounced in the backseat of the station wagon as her father drove. Kim hung in the air watching the trip. For several moments she didn't recall the trip, but then it came flooding back. She shook her head, and screamed, but there was no sound. She watched the scene, already knowing what was coming. She watched her visit with her grandfather, ailing with terminal cancer. She didn't understand it then, still had trouble understanding it now. He'd been happy to see her before, but always over a suppressed worry. But this time he was ecstatic to see her, throwing his arms up to pick her up and hold her. Her parents said nothing to interrupt, watching and smiling.

Now she could see the worry in their faces, but then they hadn't. Then the visit was over. The old man waved them gone. She screamed again, but it did nothing. Then the shot. Far below her younger self tore free of her parents and reached the door first. How she wished she'd never reached that door. The gun was still in his hand, the note in the other. She'd never seen it, her father had never let it leave his person, and she'd never asked. She saw her mother enter, and pull her from the room. Then there was another flash and it was done.

* * *

"Out back. I saw light. It's got to be them." Shego nearly broke down the back door getting into the yard. Kim was on the ground, sobbing, eyes red. Ron ran to her and put his arms around her. She threw hers around him. Shego looked around, and then a second flash of light erupted. Adam stumbled free, face ashen. He looked past her and stumbled to the bushes, where he emptied his stomach. Then he walked to her and put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry." he didn't say anything else and for several minutes she said nothing either. The four entered the house then, none of them speaking above a whisper. Two weeks later, the effects of the trip gone, Kim and Ron returned to an empty house. Everything not theirs was gone, except a note.

'We've gone home. I don't have anything to say, except that I enjoyed working with you guys. We won't be back, so don't expect us.' - Adam.

P.S. - Ron, look in your right pants pocket.

Ron's hand dug into his pocket for a bulge that hadn't been there just a moment before. He pulled it out and held up a small black box. He glanced at Kim and stepped back. Then he went down on one knee and opened the box. He couldn't speak, but he didn't need to.

"Yes."


End file.

Kim Possible