A Kim Possible Fanfiction
by Greg Fisk (aka "Slyrr")

Kim Possible is owned/copyrighted by Disney and its affiliates, etc. etc.

This chapter is dedicated to 'Commander Argus', who died in a bicycle accident this year. Farewell, Commander - you'll always be missed...

At times I almost dream
I too have spent a life the sages' way,
And tread once more familiar paths. Perchance
I perished in an arrogant self-reliance
Ages ago; and in that act a prayer
For one more chance went up so earnest, so...
Instinct with better light let in by death,
That life was blotted out -- not so completely
But scattered wrecks enough of it remain,
Dim memories, as now, when once more seems
The goal in sight again....

Chapter 23:
Contact
The Return of the Great Bear Spirit

Part I: Let's Make A Deal

It was the day after the battle in the Go City R&D Labs, and school was out at Riddleton High. Kim had led the cheer squad through another practice which blew the socks off all the observers except Grimm, who was still acting as if he didn't notice them. But after school and practice, there was a meeting Kim had arranged.

After getting Jade to agree to a monitored communication outside of Riddleton, and setting it up so everything was filtered, Kim had been allowed to contact a prison which was known for it's infamous "Cell Block D".

The meeting was arranged, and Kim followed Grimm on another winding trip beyond Riddleton, eventually arriving at the prison. They were escorted to an interrogation room. Monique had not wanted to come along since she didn't want to risk bumping into the Fashionistas again, and Enrique had also bowed out, saying he wanted to 'keep Monique company'.

So it was Kim, Rufus, Grimm and Rueful who wound up in one of the prison interrogation rooms; a boxy, confining cell painted a rather unpleasant brown with no furniture besides a table and a set of chairs, all of which were bolted down. A heavy two-way mirror was set across from the table, and there were two exits, one on each side of the room. Both of them had thick doors and heavy locks.

Grimm had seemed shrunken and fidgety, as if he didn't want to be there, and was content to let Kim do all the talking on the way in. He seemed to be doing all he could to be as unobtrusive as possible, and Kim could guess why.

'You wondering when you'll wind up here?' she said. 'If you weren't a merc, places like this wouldn't bother you.'

Grimm sniffed, watching Kim sit down at the table, but he did not sit down himself. He retreated to a darker corner of the room and seemed to be trying to blend into the shadows. 'So why am I here?' he muttered.

'Besides the fact that I need you to guide me back to Riddleton,' said Kim icily, 'anything you know about the prisoner that might get him to go along could be useful. Let's just say I don't think he'd want to help me out of the kindness of his heart.'

The door on the opposite side of the room opened with a dull clanking noise as the lock slid open. Two huge guards with stern expressions were wheeling a dolly into the room, and strapped into the dolly was a short man in an orange prison uniform. His skin was also orange, and his head was obscured by a domed, black helmet that showed only his eyes and his mouth. The guards loosed his straps and sit him down in one of the chairs, cuffing both hands into thick metal pegs drilled into the table.

'Uh...' said Kim, curiously. 'Was this necessary? I can take care of myself.'

One of the guards shrugged. 'He insisted on the restraints. He says they make him look more dangerous.'

The prisoner then spoke in a German accent, and a scowling smile was visible beneath the helmet. 'Fraulaine Possible - how good to see you!' said Professor Dementor. 'I have so few visitors, and it's such a surprise to be called on by ze person who put me in this prison in ze first place!' He shouted the last words, leaning forward angrily, his expression furious.

The guards each let their batons slam down next to his hands and Dementor flinched, retreating back into his chair. 'Well - to what do I owe this unexpected visit?' he said resentfully. 'Ze last time we met was when I was improbably defeated by your cousin Larry and his annoying 'scenarios'. If this is about your battle-suit, then you know as well as I do that I failed to....'

'This isn't about the battle-suit, Dementor.' said Kim, cutting across him. 'I need to know everything you can tell me about the Ultra-Atmospheric Jammer.'

Dementor seemed surprised. 'Ze machine I built a while back? Ze one which you destroyed?' he said. 'Why should I help ze girl who turned my magnificent creation into a smoking pile of junk?'

'Because someone's rebuilding it.' she said.

'Good!' said Dementor with a satisfied grin. 'I hope they use it to take down your infernal crime-fighting website! That would serve you right for interfering with ze oppressed villains of ze world! Though I admit, I am surprised to see you, Herr Probable.' he said, turning to Grimm. 'Why are you here with this crime-fighter? Normally you hire out to me.'

'I have no idea what you're talking about.' said Grimm cagily, with an eye on the security cameras and the two-way mirror. 'I only hire out to clients who have payoffs that interest me. Right now, helping Possible get this job done has a payoff I'm really interested in.'

'And what might that be?' said Dementor.

'Nunna. As in, nunna your beeswax.'

'Well,' said Dementor, with a gleam in his eyes, 'If it's payoffs that we are talking about, then perhaps I could be persuaded to give you ze information you want - if ze price is right.'

Kim braced herself. 'What exactly are you asking for?'

Dementor smirked. 'I want you to surrender to me your self-healing, spring-stepping, shield-raising hand thingy battle suit!' he said, his voice rising.

Kim sighed, rolling her eyes. 'Are you still obsessing over the suit?' she said.

'Ja!' Dementor said. 'I cannot stop thinking about ze suit! I rave about claiming it for my own every night!'

'It's true,' said one of the guards, looking at Dementor with distaste. 'He does.'

'You see?' said Dementor, gesturing at the guard. 'Even they know it! Now hand over ze battle-suit, and perhaps I will give you ze information you seek!'

'Get real, Professor.' said Grimm. 'What good would the suit do you while you're behind bars? Why not ask for something more practical - like an early parole?'

Dementor paused, tapping his bearded chin. 'Ja.... I suppose freedom would be nice. But that still does not get me ze battle-suit!'

'You're a super-genius.' said Grimm idly. 'Why do you need to steal someone else's suit when you could design one of your own? Aren't you the one who's always saying that only losers steal other people's inventions?'

'Don't get smart with me Herr Probable, you're not qualified!' Dementor snapped. 'I want that battle-suit!'

'That's the best deal we can offer you.' said Grimm, folding his arms. 'Early parole or nothing. Your choice.'

'Could you excuse us for a moment?' said Kim, standing up and pulling Grimm back to the far corner of the room. Once they were there, she leaned in with a hissing whisper. 'What's this early parole stuff?' she said. 'When I put the bad guys in jail, I don't let them out! Not for the Fashionistas, and not for Dementor!'

'Wake up, Possible. You want info from him and he's got no reason to give it to you without some kind of deal.'

'I don't make deals with criminals!'

'Then it's a good thing I came along after all.' Grimm whispered back. 'I knew you wouldn't have the guts, so I'll do it for you. I've already contacted Leigh Gality. She says she can work out an early release since he didn't actually hurt anyone, as long as he pays for the damage to your closet. We get what we want, he gets his deal, and you don't have to soil your reputation.'

'If I sit back and let you spring him, it's as bad as if I'd done it myself!'

Grimm sighed and rolled his eyes. 'You can catch him again later when this is over,' he whispered. 'Right now we've got bigger fish to fry.'

'He should stay behind bars!' Kim spat.

'Come on, he'd just escape again like he always does!' Grimm hissed back. 'We need him to spill about the Jammer if there's any chance he knows a weakness! You can list yourself as a conscientious objector if you want, but I'm making this deal!'

Kim clenched her fists as Grimm turned away and went back to the table. 'How about it, Professor?' he said, 'If you tell us everything you can about your Jammer, we can give you freedom and a shot at making your own battle-suit.'

Dementor folded his arms, the chains on his handcuffs clinking. 'You must sweeten ze deal for me, or you get nothing!' he said defiantly. 'Ze fact that you are trying to make deals with me says that you are desperate! So decide for yourselves if ze 'sitch' is serious enough that you are willing to gamble ze risks against my humble demands!'

'Then we're wasting our time here,' said Grimm, shaking his head and moving towards the door. 'Come on,' he said to Kim. 'It looks like Drakken was right...'

'What?' said Dementor, his eyes suddenly slitted behind the eyeholes of his helmet, 'Drakken? What has that loser got to do with this?'

'Didn't you know?' said Grimm, and Kim was able to see the perfectly timed hesitations and inflections in his voice. 'He's the one ripping off the designs on your Jammer - and unless things change, it looks like he'll be the one to finish what you started.'

Dementor's eyes went from slitted to popping, looking like they would spring out of his helmet. 'But.... ze Jammer was..... is... my creation! He can't do that - ze Jammer belongs to me!'

Grimm shrugged. 'I know it stinks,' he said, and actually sounded consoling. 'But you know how these things work - it's not the inventor who gets the credit these days, it's the guy who gets the invention up and running. And the whole world is going to be buzzing that Dr. Drakken succeeded where you failed.' He hammered on the door, which opened with a loud buzz, and motioned Kim out with a sidelong wink.

Kim took the hint and sighed heavily, walking towards the doorway. 'Who knew Drakken would turn out to be the better scientist...' she muttered, just loud enough for her voice to carry. 'Soon everyone will be calling it the Drakken Doomsday Device...'

Dementor was gargling incoherently, twisting his hands in their restraints. 'Wait!' he shouted at last, just as Kim was moving out of the cell. 'That should be ze Dementor Doomsday Device! This cannot be allowed!!'

Grimm paused, looking back at Dementor, who was squirming in his chair. 'Hey, I'm with you on this one.' he said. 'But right now, Drakken holds all the cards - unless you know some way we can stop him.'

Kim could hear Dementor's teeth grinding as he gnashed them. 'There... might be a way.' he said at last. 'I would need to go over my old notes to make sure...'

'We can have them delivered, under prison supervision of course.' said Grimm. 'And you understand the arrangement depends on whether your information is useful.'

'Very well, Herr Probable.' said Dementor with a faint smile. 'I will settle for parole instead of ze battle-suit, if I have your word that you will do to his Jammer what she did to mine!'

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Kim did indeed voice objection to the Warden, but it seemed like the deal was being arranged despite her protests. The Warden already had a sheaf of documents he was flipping through when she went to his office, and she was shocked to see that Leigh Gality was already there.

'I'm sorry Ms. Possible,' said the Warden. 'But these papers seem to be in order. If Dementor agrees to the terms and fills his obligations, he'll be free to go.'

'That will, of course, be subject to review once he has supplied us with the requisite information.' said Leigh, adjusting her glasses. 'But as the charges against Professor Dementor amount to little more than attempted theft and attempted assault, I see no reason why he shouldn't comply.'

'He blew up my bedroom closet and tried to lower me and Ron into molten lava!' Kim said angrily. 'And don't tell me there aren't any witnesses for that!'

'Ms. Possible - I remind you that your cousin Larry admitted he was the one who 'blew up' your room.' said Leigh, shaking her head. 'He has also stated that the entire incident was a phony science fiction scenario arranged by you in advance as a themed birthday party - and that no one was ever in any danger. Unless you want to contradict him and say it was real...'

Kim glared as she remembered that she had already agreed to her father's suggestion to keep the whole thing secret from Larry. Kim also noticed the Warden's eyes straying to Leigh's legs as he looked over the papers, and she muffled a sigh of exasperation.

She still felt dirty as she followed after Grimm on the winding flight back to Riddleton, as if she was the one who had arranged the deal. Grimm's words over the speakers of the Sloth were of no comfort. 'Relax.' he said, 'If his advice turns out to be a dud, you can blame me. If it helps us defeat Monkey Fist, you can take the credit. Either way, you come up roses.'

Part II: Best Suited

When they got back to Riddleton it was drawing towards the evening. Kim went to Rhonda's room, and while putting away the things she'd taken with her on the trip to the prison, she noticed something that was not in her bags. At once, she raced downstairs to catch Grimm before he left.

'Where is it?' she snarled.

'Where's what?' he answered, looking infuriatingly clueless.

'My battle-suit!' she said. 'It's not upstairs with my other things! Did you sell it to Dementor already? Even after all that talk about making a deal, you couldn't wait to give him exactly what he wanted....'

'Chill!' Grimm barked. 'It's at Jade's place. Didn't I say it needed fixing? I just didn't want to wait ten years for you to remember. Wade and Jade are working on it. I was just on my way over to check. You can come along if you don't believe me.'

Before long, they had been buzzed through the Omo-sa's gate and were trooping up to the house. Kim hadn't seen it before and was thinking it looked pretty cool. Monique, Enrique, Rufus and Rueful were following them as well - Monique because she wanted to stick with Kim, and Enrique because he wanted to stick with Monique.

There was a brief awkward moment when they entered the house. Mr. Omo-sa let out a low growl before Kim could take one step over the threshold, and he pointed at a caddy containing several slipper-like shoes.

She took the hint at once and swapped her shoes with the slippers, while everyone else did the same. Grimm and Enrique seemed to be familiar with Mr. Omo-sa's quirks and had changed shoes at once. After they were all in slippers, Mr. Omo-sa nodded in greeting.

'She is in her workroom, Probable-san.' he said in his low grating voice. 'I trust you know the way there, and the rules of conduct within my house.'

'Dōmo arigatō, Omo-sa san.' Grimm answered with a bow. He waited until after Mr. Omo-sa's returning bow, then started down the gleaming corridors. Kim and the others followed him through a number of hallways until he opened a door. The moment the door was open, Kim saw a series of sparking flashes, and heard electrical buzzing noises.

They followed Grimm, and Kim thought for a moment that they'd somehow wound up inside one of the Go City R&D labs. The same kinds of electronic equipment, tools and other supplies were there. On a large table in the center of the room, Kim saw her battle-suit laid out. Jade was bent over the table and was jabbing the suit with some kind of sophisticated welding prod. Wade was circling the table, looking at every move she made. Both of them were wearing white coats and had goggles on, making them look like young versions of Mr. Matter.

Jade paused and looked up. 'Yo, G-Man!' she said. 'About time you showed up! If you can just throw out the excess baggage,' she nodded her head towards Wade, 'Then maybe I can make some headway here!'

'Not ready yet?' said Grimm, looking down as the suit emitted a bright spark from the band around the shoulder-line.

'Are you kidding?' said Jade. 'Gonna be a dog's age with this one...' She held her welder to the sparking area at the shoulder and started bearing down, causing even more sparks to fly.

Wade was pulling his hair. 'What are you doing?' he yelled, seeing the alterations Jade was making to the nano-circuitry in the battle-suit.

Jade answered impatiently. 'I'm fixing this technological mish-mash you call your invention!' she growled.

'You call this hatchet job fixing?' he shouted.

Jade looked up, her magnifying goggles slipping down her face. 'Hatchet this, you no-talent....' she started, but Grimm broke in.

'Jade! Don't argue - explain.' he said.

Jade clenched her fists and sighed, looking up as if pleading to higher powers for patience. She looked back down with a horrible expression of forced politeness, gritting her teeth as she spoke. 'The reason your battle-suit keeps malfunctioning,' she started, 'Is because all the systems, the shield generator, the hand module, the booster soles, the healing mechanisms, are all linked to the same power generating protocol. The nano-circuits all get the same activation triggers whenever one function is turned on, and the filters couldn't always block the signals to the other systems in the suit. It was random and haphazard, but that was why sometimes the shield would turn on after using the hand module, or the healing mechanism would trigger the cloak or....'

Wade fought to break in. 'But the nano-circuits all depend on being interconnected to a single power source for the self-repair to work!' he said. 'Without power it's just a suit...'

'You have to split the power needs to different parts of the suit to keep the activation signals from interfering with the...' Jade shouted.

'The entire suit still needs a single power source to maintain the integrity of the...'

'Yes, but the single power source has to be routed through different energy conduits which serve as separate power sources, each with it's own set of blocks and failsafes which stop the aberrant activation signals which the nano-circuits interpret as....'

'But you'd need to boost the ability of the nano-circuitry to recognize and react to different stimulation! The only material that's durable enough and sensitive enough would be depleted trydiplatinum tungsten poly-alloy!'

'Duh!'

'And to get it you'd need high government or criminal connections!'

'Duh!'

'Plus circuits made from that stuff don't exist yet! Top scientists are still working on...'

'Dementor did it! So did Zorpox! How do you think he powered the Mega Synaptic Transducer from an abandoned warehouse? How do you think the Bond-O balls sustain their adhesive effect without...'

'Zorpox didn't have any trydiplatinum tungsten!'

'We did!'

'That's impossible!'

'So the battle-suit we've got is just imaginary? The fact that it works without any of the glitches your suit has is just a coincidence?'

'But the experiments needed to solve the equations and test the results would be...'

'Illegal? Maybe if you, Drakken and Dementor put your heads together...'

'They're criminals!'

'They're forward-thinking geniuses who just need....'

'A good, long stay in Cell Block D!'

By that time they were almost nose to nose, shouting at each other. Kim felt she should intervene, but their exchange was somewhat hypnotic.

'You unethical... risk-taking...'
'Goody-two-shoes... know-it-all...'
'Mad scientist hobnobbing....'
'Egghead apple-polishing...'

'jerk!' they both finished, and at last they fell silent, either out of insults or out of breath.
Then without warning, Wade put both his hands on her shoulders and kissed her on the lips. Grimm raised an eyebrow and Monique flinched at the memory of the Valentine's day incident. Enrique sighed. 'Ah, el amor de los que odian uno al otro....' he said softly.

Jade's eyes opened as wide as dinner plates as Wade leaned back, and she stood still in shock for a few seconds, looking dumbfounded. Then her hand flashed out and there was a loud smack. Wade was rubbing his cheek, one eye squinched shut.

'What the heck was that?' Jade screeched.

Wade looked embarrassed. 'It's... kinda traditional.' he said sheepishly. 'You know how it is in the movies - two rivals who respect each other get into an argument about something, they yell a lot, and then... they kiss.'

Jade shook her head. 'I donno what kinda movies you been watching, but leave me out of them!' she said angrily.

'All right, sorry!' Wade said, backing away. 'Forget about it...'

'Did shut her up, though.' said Monique quietly to Kim.

'Anyhoo,' Jade said, running her hand over her forehead, 'Adding separate power sources will solve your activation glitches. When Zorpox made Grimm's battle-suit, it eventually showed the same glitches as your suit. It took some doing, but I solved the problem by adding smaller power sources, each one linked to the main power source. The failsafes protect the different functions of the suit so they don't all activate when one is triggered.'

She brought up a scan of the battle-suit on the large screen, with different sections of the suit blinking on and off. 'I spread the different power sources to five different locations - the left and right gloves, the left and right boots, and the belt. Each one also serves as emergency backup in case the main power gives out.'

'How long before it's ready?' Grimm said, 'Having one out of commission could hurt us if Maze makes a move.'

'Well it's not like screwing in a light bulb.' said Jade. 'This is nano-circuitry we're talking about - it'll take time...'

'But when you're done, the suit will work without glitching up?' Kim said.

'It should.' said Jade. 'Like I said, that's how we fixed Grimm's suit.'

'Wade?' she said, 'How about a second out in the hall?'

Wade looked mutinous, but followed after Kim as she went back out the door.

Jade was staring after them, looking both befuddled and angry. 'That dork steals a kiss from me and you're just letting it slide? We're both underage, ya know!' she said, turning to Grimm.

Grimm was looking shrewdly at her. 'Sorry, but I couldn't help noticing,' he said quietly. 'You didn't slap him until after he'd stopped kissing you.'

Jade's face turned beet red, her eyelids twitching. 'I was...' she sputtered, 'He.... It... I wasn't expecting it!'

'Are you gonna be OK alone with him working on the suit?' he said, and there was a trace of playful smugness in his voice.

Jade's face was so red by this time, she actually pulled her goggles back down to cover her eyes. 'Shut... up...!' she squealed. 'Like I'd fall for a guy like him... I'm not falling for anyone - we're both too young!!'

'I told him that when he was trying to date me.' said Monique, rather enjoying Jade's embarrassment. 'Didn't do much good - the boy's a romantic. He even made a Cupid ray...'

Jade's mouth fell open. 'He... designed a Cupid ray?' she screamed. Then without another word she dashed to a section of the wall which had a number of compartments and shelves. She pulled open a large drawer with the words 'Projects in Progress' labeled on it, and fished out a device that looked almost exactly like Wade's Cupid ray.

Everyone smiled faintly as Jade threw it on the floor and began stamping on it with her sandaled feet.

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Once they were in the hall, Kim closed the door behind her and turned to see Wade leaning against the wall looking sulky. 'You're not gonna go along with this, are you?' he said.

'Help her out as much as you can, Wade.' said Kim.

Wade sputtered, pointing back and forth between Kim and the door. 'But if this doesn't work, the suit will be totally ruined!' he said.

'I know,' she answered. 'But if it comes to that, I'll get by without it. It's just that if I am using it - I need to be sure it won't flake out on me again. Besides,' she said, smiling faintly and lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. 'If it does fail, you'll be able to say 'I told you so' to Jade.'

A smile flickered briefly across Wade's resentful frown. 'Well... I guess that would be nice.' he said, still sounding sullen.

Kim couldn't resist asking. 'Wade - why did you kiss her?'

For once, Wade looked baffled. 'I have no idea.' he said. 'It's just.... I've never met anyone like her before. She's an annoying, bossy, know-it-all tomboy who just won't shut up, and she drives me nuts and... she's so free-spirited and... wild.'

'She's the bad girl.' Kim said knowingly.

'Yeah...' said Wade, and a wistful look passed over his eyes, but then he shook his head as if trying to clear it of something unpleasant.

'Look Wade - I totally understand the bad-boy/girl thing, but she's not just the bad girl - she the evil bad girl. And once this sitch with Ron and Monkey Fist is over... I just don't think it's a good idea to be crushing on her.'

'I'm not crushing!' said Wade, flushing red. 'It was just a... momentary lapse brought on by fatigue.'

'Yeah,' said Kim with a faint smile. 'And I wasn't jelling over Yori.'

Wade glanced back nervously at Jade's lab. 'OK... I hear you.' he said. 'I'll just focus on the suit and try to minimize the damage she does.'

'Please and thank you.'

Wade was shaking his head. 'I hope this is worth the risk.' he said.

'I'm not in synch with the sitch either.' Kim said. 'But Ron's been gone nearly three weeks now. When I think about him trapped wherever he is... He must be scared out of his mind...'

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In the spirit world, Ron and Rhonda were both doing the 'Breakfast Club' table dance, and both of them were singing. Ron was rolling out verses to "Naked Mole Rap", while Rhonda sang counterpoint with "Long-Tailed Weasel Jam". The two songs blended together fairly well, and Ron couldn't help thinking that if Rhonda had been helping him out, he might have gotten an "A" on the assignment from Mr. Barkin.

'So I heard Smarty-Mart was havin' a sale...'
'On a predatory mammal with a furry brown tail!'
'It seemed to me this could be a solution,
the perfect pet for my dad's sensitive constitution!'
'So the manager told me his Latin name - he said it's Mustela frenata!
I said it doesn't mattah!'
'Handed him to me, said, "Be careful don't drop it,
and do you want this cage?" No, I’ll keep him in my pocket!'

'Got a sparkle in his eye and a smile on his face!
Ev'rybody do the long-tailed weasel jam!'

'Come on y'all - let the girlies sing!
Listen to the Naked Mole Rap!'

And they both laughed heartily as they finished the song, Rhonda letting out another loud snort.

Part III: The Ubergolem

Monkey Fist flexed his left hand, looking appraisingly at the thick band of steel that now looped around it, covering and protecting the emet symbols below his knuckles. It wasn't elegant or pretty, but it was functional.

Then he looked up at the Ubergolem. High above on some scaffolding, Drakken was supervising a team of golems as they welded a much larger and thicker metal band around the left hand of the statue. The Hebrew characters on the Ubergolem which spelled out emet were each nearly as large as a human being, but they disappeared from view as the other golems bent and forced the metal into place. Soon Shegolem was welding the band closed, the green light from her glow sparked and glittered in the darkness of the cavern as she fused the metal with fire.

Drakken looked relieved as he gingerly climbed down the scaffolding and set himself firmly on the ground. 'I didn't sign on to do metallurgy.' said Drakken, watching nervously as the golems and Shegolem simply let themselves fall to the cavern floor. They landed with echoing booms, only to get up and return to their labors without hesitation.

'You'll soon be able to return to working on the Jammer.' said Monkey Fist, looking up and admiring the Ubergolem. 'In fact, we should be able to hit several birds with this very large stone.' He carefully activated the communicator he held. 'Sskipoyiwa. The symbols are protected - now let us see the results of your labor.'

From inside the Immersion Pod that served as the control system for the mini-UAJ, Maze nodded. He still didn't like being inside the machine, but the feeling of raw power it brought him when using it... He concentrated, focusing his will into the shadows of the cavern, until he sensed the patch of blackness within the cavity in the eye of the Ubergolem. He chanted, letting his mind and awareness sink into the shadows, bending them to his will...

And then he was staring out from the eye - and he was the Ubergolem. His limbs felt suddenly very heavy, but he raised his arms, and flexed his fingers. His arms were now thick and stony, and a metal band was around his left hand...

Drakken cringed as the Ubergolem suddenly came alive. It seemed to be looking at it's hands, inspecting itself, and turning this way and that to examine it's surroundings. Even these slight movements shattered and crumbled the network of scaffolds, and it bumped the cavern wall behind it, sending a shower of rocks and boulders crashing and tumbling to the ground.

'Easy, Maze.' said Monkey Fist into the communicator, though he was smiling. 'The good doctor could be squashed if you move around too much.'

'It's amazing...' said Maze, and Monkey Fist saw a distant and entranced expression on his face. His voice was similarly dream-like. 'I can see you below me like insects...'

'Hey!' said Drakken, but Monkey Fist waved him to silence.

'We're returning to the main cavern.' he said. 'Once we have checked to make sure the Jammer is set and timed for our target, you will need to open a shadow passage through which we can travel.'

'Your presence will not be needed.' said Maze, his voice still sounding faraway. 'I can feel the power and strength of this golem. Even if Mi'kksiistsikomma and Otaatoyiwa try to interfere, they will be no match for me!'

'Nevertheless, we will be following you to our target.' said Monkey Fist. 'After all, in Middleton you can't be too careful.' By this time he and Drakken had reached the computers connected to the Jammer and the immersion pod. Drakken was checking various screens, making adjustments and consulting his own communicator.

'We'll be able to take control of the satellite very soon.' said Drakken, and Monkey Fist nodded as he went up to the Immersion Pod to look in on Maze.

'Will you be able maintain control?' said Monkey Fist through the glass. 'Much of this operation depends on you. To make a shadow passage that will allow for objects this large...'

'If by doing this, I can make my enemies suffer, then yes.' said Maze with a dark stare, 'So long as this 'Middleton' remains covered by nightfall, I will endure.'

'Very well then.' said Monkey Fist. 'But measure your efforts and pace yourself - depending on how things go, we may need you to provide a swift escape.'

'It is they who will need to escape from me.' said Maze, shaking his head.

'We shall see.' said Monkey Fist, and turned back to Drakken. 'Has the sun fallen in Middleton?'

'Yes,' said Drakken, who was tapping his fingers on the stone table. 'It happened four minutes ago, but what does that matter?'

'Because at night, his powers are strongest.' said Monkey Fist, nodding towards the Immersion Pod. 'With darkness falling, he will need less effort to control his shadows.' Drakken's watch beeped, a high pitched sound that carried through the caverns.

'Ah, I believe it's time.' said Monkey Fist. 'Activate the mini-jammer and set it so our satellite targets Middleton.'

'That giant statue is too big!' Drakken protested. 'Putting that much power through the satellite will allow Possible's hacker to detect it!' Drakken protested. 'They could guess where you're going like they did before...'

'That's quite all right.' said Monkey Fist, with a shrewd smile. 'This time - we want them to know where we're striking.'

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Wade was grimacing as he watched Jade modify the bands around the forearms of Kim's battle-suit, and add new components to the boots. Her goggles were set to maximum magnification as she worked with a pair of instruments that looked as fine as needles, but which emitted faint sparks, so small they could hardly be seen.

But they both started as a red alarm light started blinking along with a loud buzzer. 'Oh crud.' Wade said, shaking his head and racing out towards the guest house.

The rest of the group had collected their shoes and left the Omo-sa house, heading down the driveway path towards the gate. Both Kim and Grimm's communicators went off at the same time, and simultaneously, they both held them up and said, 'What's the sitch?'

'They're using the Jammer!' said Wade's voice, coming from both communicators and sounding frantic.

Kim felt a jolt of excitement. 'So soon?' she said. She had gotten rather used to the long stretches of time between when Monkey Fist used the mini-UAJ on previous occasions.

'About ten minutes ago, a satellite jumped out of it's normal control frequencies and it's broadcasting an aberrant signal.' Wade answered. 'It's them, I'm sure of it.'

'Where are they hitting?' said Kim, while Grimm said nothing, his face scowling.

'The signal's stronger this time...' said Wade, typing fast. 'It's over the western hemisphere... targeting somewhere in the American Midwest...'

Wade's face jumped up sharply. 'Kim - I think they're targeting Middleton.'

Wade's image went into split screen and Jade, still wearing her goggles and still welding with one hand, popped onto the screen. 'News channels just mobilized with a special bulletin.' she said. 'Check this out guys...'

Both Wade and Jade disappeared and Kim recognized the reporter Summer Breeze from Middleton News. She was standing outside and crowds of people were racing down the sidewalks behind her as if running away from something.

'...no one has been able to determine how it got here, or where it came from. But a sixty-foot tall statue has been spotted, cutting a destructive path through the city. Luckily, it seems to have started it's rampage near the outskirts of town in the industrial district and no casualties have yet been reported. But the monster is making it's way towards the heart of Middleton. Residents are urged to evacuate towards the south of the city as quickly as they can, following these routes...'

Monique looked stunned. 'A... giant golem?' she said. 'I thought they were making another jammer thingy!'

'So did I...' Kim said, her voice nearly a whisper.

On the screen, Summer Breeze held a hand to her earpiece. 'I've just been informed that our mobile camera unit has sighted the monster - going to live feed as quickly as possible...'

And the scene cut to a camera which was being held very shakily. Armored jeeps were speeding down a street, carrying uniformed soldiers, all fully armed. A few larger vehicles were among the convoy. Even though the evening had fallen and there wasn't much light, Kim recognized the part of town which was being shown. The buildings were lower, and it was only about a mile or two away from the mall and Bueno Nacho.

Summer's voice was still talking. 'As we can see, Police and National Guard units have been mobilized to intercept and stop the monster. Of course, Middleton is no stranger to such attacks, having been rescued from giant dinosaurs and mutant roach invasions by teen heroine, Kim Possible...'

But her voice fell silent as a vast shape, totally black against the darkening sky, leaned slowly into view around one of the taller buildings. The camera upended crazily as a soldier's hand pushed into it, along with the shout of a gruff voice. 'Get out of here - get out of here right now..!' Then there was a burst of static and the picture was lost.

There was dead silence for a moment as Kim lowered her Kimmunicator. 'Monique - suit up and meet me at the Sloth.' she said firmly.

'Shotgun!' said Enrique, smiling eagerly at Monique as if he hadn't seen the news report.

But Grimm darted in front of the gate and blocked the way out. 'What do you think you're doing?'

'I'm going back.' Kim said.

'Don't be an idiot!' Grimm said angrily, 'Can't you tell it's a setup?'

'Out of my way, Probable!' Kim snarled.

'They're doing this to lure you there!' he shouted, 'They've already got a satellite hijacked! The minute you show your face, they could zap a whole city block and turn you to stone along with everyone else!'

'That's my home - my family lives there! I can't just sit back and watch!'

'And they know it!' Grimm shouted, 'Which is why you can't go...!'

'It's why I have to go!' Kim shouted back.

'Straight up!' said Monique. 'Like I'm gonna let my family get flattened by their giant rock boy!'

'If you do this, I'm not coming with you!' Grimm said, shaking his head. 'I'm not following you into a trap! It would mean throwing away everything we've fought for up to now!'

'What have we fought for up to now?' Kim shouted back. 'To find Monkey Fist and Maze? Are they found? To bring back Rhonda and Ron? Are they back?'

'Who's gonna bring them back if we both wind up as golems?' Grimm yelled.

'Stay then.' Kim said coldly. 'It's not your home and family that are in danger. Looks like you'll be the one hiding under the bed.'

'Grow up, Possible.' Grimm said angrily. 'You can only win if you pick the right battles. If we keep our cool and stay out of this, we'll eventually find a way to track them down. But if you go there, you'll be painting a bulls-eye on your face! How are you planning to stop a giant golem anyway?'

'We'll never know until we try.' Kim answered.

'Your battle-suit isn't even fixed yet!' Grimm said. 'You wouldn't stand a chance.'

Kim darted around him and out of the gate. 'Since you're not going,' she said, 'I'll need to borrow something from your place.'

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A few minutes later, Kim stepped out a bathroom at the Probable house, where she had quickly changed. She now wore Grimm's black suit with glowing orange bands. Everyone stared at her. The nano-technology had form-fitted the suit to her size and frame, just like hers had for Ron and for Larry when they had worn it. But the effect on Kim was more slenderizing, lean and simply more dangerous looking.

'Difference between you and me is - I make this look good.' said Kim, staring at Grimm.

'Seconded.' said Lynn and Mim, who were standing there and smiling. Grimm sent a withering glare at both of them. 'What?' Lynn said, shrugging, 'She does.'

'Black's not really your color, girlfriend.' said Monique, but she was smiling. 'Still... wow.'

'Thirded...' said Enrique, raising his hand with a dreamy expression.

Grimm sighed and shook his head. 'You're making a mistake.' he said. 'This is playing right into their hands...'

'We'll see.' Kim said defiantly. 'I've taken out lairs and doomsday machines before.' She strode swiftly to the front door and left, with Monique and Rufus close behind her. Enrique started after them.

'What, you're going too?' said Grimm. 'That's a bit much just to try and impress Monique - your life could be on the line!'

Enrique shrugged. 'Senorita Possible is a strange girl, Senor Grimm.' he said. 'She says she can do anything - and the more I've watched her and her friends, the more I believe she is not merely boasting. Besides... they will need someone to guide them back to Riddleton later, no?' He followed them out the door, leaving Grimm standing there with his parents, sisters and Rueful.

'There won't be a 'later'.' he said quietly.

Mr. Probable was looking at him curiously. 'So you're sitting this one out, boy?' he said.

'I'm playing it smart.' he said, picking up a remote control and raising the volume on a big screen TV in the living room. The attack on Middleton was still being covered, and other news organizations were joining in.

'...so far the creature seems to be indestructible. Even several heavy artillery units with armor-piercing rounds have failed to...'

He hit the mute button and threw the remote onto the couch. 'They're toast the minute Monkey Fist sees them arriving.' Grimm said, and he turned and stormed out of the house.

Lynn and Mim were tapping their feet. 'Maybe we should...' Mim said,

'..change the bands on his suit to yellow.' said Lynn.

'Honey,' said Mrs. Probable, standing beside him and resting her hand on his shoulder, 'I know there's no one paying him this time - but I thought he brought those people out here to help him find Rhonda. Shouldn't he be going with them?'

'Yes, he should.' said Mr. Probable. 'But if he's got his mind made up, then yelling at him won't change it.' He shrugged, glancing back at the TV. 'I'd better go to the office.' he said, squeezing his wife's hand. 'The Army is going to want a conference about this...'

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Maze could not surpress a grim smile. He was nowhere near Middleton - he was safely ensconced within the Immersion Pod at their hidden lair. But he felt like he was truly in Middleton as he controlled the Ubergolem, lumbering from place to place at will, knocking down buildings, crushing cars beneath his feet and shrugging off gunfire from the National Guard vehicles as if they were less than gnats.

He kept an eye on the metal strip wrapped around his left hand, checking it to make sure it was still intact. So far everything was exceeding his wildest expectations. The military vehicles laid periodic ambushes, but their attacks had been unable to even slow him down, and they would flee when he approached, only to regroup and try again somewhere else.

He chuckled at their feeble efforts. He was truly invincible - and the white man would suffer the destruction they so richly deserved by his hands. He would lay waste to the city, and before the dawn came, he would retreat to the lair and select another place to strike. He didn't even care that Monkey Fist and Drakken had left him the moment after their arrival, claiming they had an errand to run within the city. Indeed, he wondered if the rest of the plan was even necessary, and whether or not he already had all the tools he needed at his disposal. What could Mi'kksiistsikomma and Otaatoyiwa possibly do to stop him? They were nothing - less than nothing - a pair of insolent children unworthy of his notice.

As another group of jeeps and tanks scattered at his approach, he turned his eye to the taller buildings some distance away. Like most of the white man's creations, the sight of them offended him. They were unnatural blots on what should have been a pristine landscape. But no matter - soon he would grind them to powder, and he plodded heavily down a street towards the center of town, ignoring the din and the panic that surrounded him...

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Ron and Rhonda shared a vision of Kim and the others speeding back towards Middleton in the Sloth. Their eyes saw the car and it's occupants as a hazy, but distinguishable anchor amid a world which seemed to be spinning by at great speed.

Kim had used the sub-orbital jets once Enrique had guided them outside of Riddleton to a point where their GPS system started working again. She didn’t like going sub-orbital since it often put NORAD on alert if they spotted her, but the thought of a giant golem tearing Middleton apart, and maybe getting close to her neighborhood, her family and friends....

'Bad Monkey!' said Ron. 'Going after Bueno Nacho like that? I thought the other villains of the world learned better when Drakken got caught after he tried it!'

Rhonda was looking around wildly. 'Where's Grimm?' she said, and took a closer look at Kim. 'And... why is Kim wearing my BF's battle-suit?'

'Looks nice on her...' Ron said, a lopsided smile on his face as he looked her over.

'Shut up!' said Rhonda, but Ron's vision seemed totally focused on Kim as he anxiously watched their progress. Rhonda kept looking around for a sight of Grimm, or the bike, but she couldn't see either. She tried to calm herself, to remember all the things Ron had drilled into her about 'good vibrations'. And she concentrated, trying to see Grimm, to let her spirit find him...

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Grimm entered the grove behind Rhonda's house, sitting down in front of the fire pit and burying his head in his hands. His communicator was beeping. He shut it off and threw it across the ground. What good would talking to Jade do? What could she say except to break the news that Kim had been defeated? Swallowed up in his frustration and anger, he lost track of how long he was actually there. The evening deepened, and darkness fell. An unnatural quiet stole through the glade, so deep that Grimm's own thoughts seemed like shouting in his head.

'Stupid idiots...' he thought, 'They'll be flattened - or enslaved. No amount of attitude can beat the odds they're walking into.' He shook his head helplessly. 'I'll be the only one left before this is over...'

And Rhonda could see him plainly. Somehow, he seemed clearer and much more 'solid' than ever. She didn't dare hope that he could hear her, but seeing his turmoil, she couldn't help whispering his name.

And Grimm raised his head, looking next to him and staring at the shimmering phantom of Rhonda's form. In the darkness of the grove, she seemed to glow with a blue light. He was sure he was dreaming. He didn't remember nodding off, or when she had appeared, but somehow he was not surprised to see her. It was like they had arranged to meet there beforehand. Half miserable, half overjoyed, he reached for her hand but was unable to touch her.

'Hey, GP.' she said, holding her hand to his so they merged in the air between them.

Grimm laughed bitterly. 'So Fate sneaks in another kick while I'm down.' he said. 'I get to see you - just before Maze and Monkey Fist win and take you away for good.'

Rhonda shook her head. There was a feeling inside her that Grimm was wrong about this, but she didn't know how to express it. 'How can you be sure?' she said.

Grimm wanted to look away, but after so long without seeing Rhonda, he kept his eyes fixed on her. 'There's no bones about it.' he said. 'They don't stand a chance against that monster golem, and even if they did, Monkey Fist will be waiting in the wings to turn them to stone - and who will save them when it happens?'

Rhonda was kneeling down beside him, a tear beading in her eye. 'Grimm, please - you can save them now!' she said.

'I.. can't do it.' he said, his teeth gritted. 'It goes against all the training I've ever had...'

'Grimm...' Rhonda said. 'You have to go... You need to be there.'

'Why?' he said, agonizing. 'It's a trap - you have to know it's a trap! What good will it do to just walk blindly into it?'

'I can't explain it, Grimm.' Rhonda said. 'I don't know what's going to happen. All I know is... I feel like things will be OK if you're there. And if you're not there... everything you're afraid of will actually happen...'

Grimm felt a tear in his own eye. 'I want to believe...' he whispered. 'But I need a place to start...'

'Then believe in me.' said Rhonda.

Even as she spoke, Grimm saw her fade from sight. The grove was as silent and dark as if nothing had happened. He blinked, his head jerking up. He whirled, looking around, unsure if he had been asleep or not. Rueful was there, looking at him with a soft trill. Everything was still quiet - yet he could feel a great tension in the air. His eye fell on the communicator, and he stared at it for some time, his eye fixing on a small red light that was blinking among it's many buttons...

Part IV: Rumble in Middleton

Kim soared over Middleton in the Sloth. In the darkness of the night, she couldn't see much. But she did spot a glowing orange colored cloud near the ground that looked like a building on fire.

'A lot of the city's lights are out, Wade.' Kim said. 'How will we land safely?'

'Hit the button marked "NV" on the dashboard keypad.' Wade answered with a smile. 'It'll change the view through the front windshield to night vision.'

Kim obeyed, and immediately the inky blues and blacks from the front were replaced with glowing greens and she could see they were nearly down to the level of the taller skyscrapers. She quickly made her descent and the Sloth came to a screeching halt outside of Costington Plaza.

Everyone quickly got out, including Enrique, who looked like he was no longer sure about being there. Kim looked back and forth up the streets, but all seemed undamaged, though deserted and eerily quiet. She brought up her Kimmunicator. 'Wade - I'm not seeing anything.' she said. 'Where is it?'

'Tracking local seismic activity,' said Wade, typing at his keyboard. 'Any tremors will probably be the golem...'

But even then, Monique felt the concrete vibrating beneath her shoes, and heard a dull, booming thump. It happened several more times until Kim looked down the street.

'Wade....' she said quietly. '...never mind.'

Monique looked up. The building across the block exploded outwards, the edifice disappearing in a cloud of crumbling stone and raining girders. Something huge was striding through the debris. Her mouth fell open and her arms fell nerveless to her sides. She was looking up at a golem, nearly sixty feet tall. It plowed through the wreckage of the building as if it weren't even there, clouds of gray dust billowing in its wake.

It was dull gray and hulking, with arms and legs that were nearly as thick around as it's body. It's toeless feet sent deafening shockwaves blasting across her ears with every step as it thundered across the street. It's stubby, four-fingered hands flexed slowly. It's roundish head had no face, no features to speak of, except for a dark, hollow depression in the center like a slitted black eye.

'Well, you know what they say,' said Enrique, though his voice was trembling, 'The bigger they are...'

The golem began smashing through another building, a shower of debris flying in all directions.

'...the stronger they are!' Enrique finished, backing away hastily.

Kim paused, wondering how best to approach the sitch. 'Wade...' she said, holding up her Kimmunicator, 'Tell me you've got something!'

On the tiny screen, Wade looked on the verge of panic. 'There's nothing I can do, Kim!' he said. 'This isn't anything like the robot Drakken made out of Nakatomi's assembly line - there's no emitter to shut down or computers to override! This thing is literally made of stone!'

'I'm going in,' she said. 'Wade, see if you can get the tanks and the jeeps to back off - I don't want to get shot at while I'm working!'

'On it!' Wade said briskly.

'So what do you need from us?' Monique said quickly.

'For now, get any people who are still hanging around out of the way!' Kim shouted, fighting to make her voice heard over the crashing noise of falling debris. 'I'll be back soon!'

'I hope...' Monique thought, watching Kim running towards the giant stone behemoth.

Kim looked up at the golem and saw a metal band wrapped around it's left hand. From the distance it seemed small, but she knew based on the golem's height that the band was at least four feet wide and several inches thick. The diamond-tipped stylus in her hip pouch seemed as light and useless as a toothpick by comparison. 'Wade, what'll it take to get that band off? Until it's down, anything the army tries would be a waste of ammo.'

'Check your backpack.' said Jade's voice.

Kim halted and fished out something that looked like a sealed package with a couple of knobs on the front and a strange metallic base. 'What's this?' she asked. 'And where's my geometry homework...?'

'They're demolitions packs.' said Jade. 'Shaped charges with a self-adhesive base. I slipped them in before you left - I figured if you were stupid enough to go up against this thing, you'd need something better than Wade's little EMP scrambler.'

'You had me carrying bombs around?' Kim started angrily.

'They're perfectly safe until you activate the timer.' Jade fired back. 'What - do you wish I'd packed you some nice fluffy marshmallows instead - so you can toast s'mores while the golem mashes your city flat?'

'Fine, how do they work?' Kim said.

'Turn the knob on the right until it clicks to activate the adhesive.' Jade said. 'Ditto for the knob on the left to activate the timer. After the click, you got fifteen seconds to vamoose.'

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Dr. Drakken held a small portable TV screen in front of him, letting out a low whistle as he watched the tanks and jeeps retreating from the Ubergolem. 'I could have done that!' he said at last. 'If Kim Possible hadn't destroyed my giant robot!'

'Oh please.' said Monkey Fist, shaking his head. 'You and I both know her hacker friend shut it down before it could do any real damage. But with an elemental like the Ubergolem, none of her usual tricks will work.'

Drakken sniffed. 'You really think this may-zee character will defeat Kim Possible with that oversized clunker?'

'It's mah-zay, and frankly - no. I don't think he will.' said Monkey Fist. 'But he had a mind to use the Ubergolem, and there was no talking him out of it. So we may as well make use of the distraction.' He stood in the midst of a number of golems. They were all milling around in a vast room filled with parts and equipment, taking down boxes and crates. There was a bucket-line of golems carrying the boxes out and stacking them inside a semi truck parked in the loading dock. 'We must finish our raid and return to the rendezvous point before anyone is the wiser. Is everything you need here?'

'Yes, yes!' Drakken said. 'Assuming we can get away without interference, these supplies should be enough to finish the project.'

'Very good.' said Monkey Fist, checking out of one of the windows. 'The attack seems to have drawn away the police and the National Guard. The Middleton Space Center was mostly abandoned...'

'Good thing, too.' Drakken muttered. 'The last thing I need after a long day is to run into my lippy college roommate!'

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It was a trickier business that Kim had thought it would be. The Ubergolem kept crashing through things, making it hard for her to find an opening where she could use her grappling line without having to worry about being swept into a hailstorm of falling debris. But at last she saw a chance as the golem turned to cross the street again.

Her grappling hook clamped onto the golem's arm and she soared up nearly forty feet, clinging to the rough stone surface. She was on the forearm of the golem, and saw the hand, a short crawling distance away.

But she gasped as the Ubergolem began moving the arm to take a swipe at some telephone poles and high-voltage wires. She raised her shield and braced herself...

And Maze noticed the tiny flare of orange light as he snapped and tore his way through the sparking wires. He shifted his gaze from the line of buildings he had been making towards, and spied Kim, clinging to his arm like an insect. 'Fool...' he thought, his smile broadening, '..Maokiiwa said you would come...' He rolled his left arm, and brought his right hand crashing down towards her.

'Kim - bail!' Wade shouted, 'The shield can't deflect that much mass!'

Kim slid down the arm until she was beneath it and heard a deafening crash as the golem swatted. She was forced to swing down to the rooftop of a nearby building when the golem slid it's right hand smoothly across the surface of the left arm in a brushing motion that would have pulverized a tank.

She stared as she regained her feet - the golem's motions were entirely too organic - it's reactions too fluid. Despite it's bulk, It had a degree of awareness and control over itself that she had never seen before in something so large. Drakken's robots were functional, but they still needed to be piloted, and had a mechanical stiffness that made their movements predictable. Even the smaller golems had seemed more zombie-like than this giant version. Even now it seemed to be staring at her, a dark chill lurking in the sunken pit of it's eye socket.

It reached down and picked up a car, sending it flying at her with an almost casual toss. She swung down to street level and heard the twisting of metal and shattering of glass as the car impacted on the roof.

Another car was tumbling through the air towards her and she rolled, activating her shield and feeling a shudder as the crude missile deflected off the edge of her protective dome. She prepared to activate stealth mode and make another try at the left hand, but paused as she saw the golem balancing on one leg, raising it's foot high.

Monique watched as the Ubergolem stamped hard. It's foot sank beneath the street surface. Fire hydrants all around erupted, spraying water as their caps were blasted off. The ground beneath the Ubergolem seemed to quiver like gelatin, and the asphalt that covered it flew up in great chunks.

She herself was knocked off her feet, flailing as Enrique caught her and Rufus hid in her hip pouch. She thought her eardrums would split from the sound.

Maze watched in satisfaction as Kim lost her balance. Even protected by her shield, the upheaval caused by the shockwave had shattered the street around and beneath her. Chunks of asphalt and other debris were piled against the tiny speck of her shield, holding her in place. He lumbered forward, reaching down...

Kim pushed away a nearly man-sized slab of asphalt and several other chunks before she felt she could lower the shield and move properly again. But as she forced away the last of the restraining rubble, she saw the Ubergolem's right hand rushing at her like a freight train...

'Kim!!' Monique shouted.

Kim blinked as a white blur swept between her and the Ubergolem. It seized her, and she found herself tumbling out of the way, another wave of sound and force washing over her as the golem's hand missed and smashed into the shattered street where she had been standing.

She rolled and got to her feet, and another figure was also standing up beside her, turning slowly and looking at her.

Grimm stared at her and Kim saw he was wearing her own battle-suit. The bands were glowing blue and bright through the haze of dust that surrounded them. 'Difference between you and me is,' Grimm said, smirking, 'I make this look evil.'

There was a moment's pause and then they both soared up on their grapple lines as another car came crashing down towards them. 'Jade fixed it?' said Kim, as they vaulted onto the ledge of a nearby building.

'Obviously.' said Grimm, both of them skirting the ledge by running alongside it while the Ubergolem's hand smashed through the face of the building. 'She says the suit should be fine, at least for now.'

'So what changed your mind?' Kim said, both of them swinging across the street towards another building. 'I thought you said coming here was a stupid move.'

'It was.' Grimm answered, while they both rappelled down towards the street. 'But I had to come.'

'Why?' Kim said, both of them keeping their eyes on the Ubergolem as it slowly plodded towards them.

'I just had to.' he growled, as if the question annoyed him.

'Thanks for clearing that up,' said Kim with a grimace. 'People might have been confused...'

They both cart wheeled to either side and the Ubergolem clapped it's palm down between them. 'Jade said you're using sap charges to try and get the armor off the golem's hand,' said Grimm, shouting to get his voice heard over the booming crash. 'How's that working out?'

'Having trouble setting the charge.' Kim answered. 'This thing's acting like it knows what we're trying to do!'

They both wound up side-by-side again as they tumbled out of the way of falling debris. 'Need a boost?' Grimm said.

'Make it a mid-air double.' Kim answered. 'Go!'

And as the Ubergolem made another swipe at them with it's right hand, they both activated their booster soles and jumped high. At the height of their arc, Grimm tumbled and extended his feet while Kim planted her own feet against his booster soles, bracing herself and staring up at her target. They pushed off against each other, activating their boosters again.

Kim catapulted to the side, sailing towards the Ubergolem's left hand while Grimm launched out his grapple line and began swinging back to the ground.

Maze was momentarily baffled by Kim's sudden change of direction in mid-air, and didn't react in time to stop her from landing on top of the knuckles which he had thought were a safe distance away from anything she might try.

Kim smoothly took another sap charge from her pack as she landed jarringly on the Ubergolem. The metal band was as thick and strong up close as she had guessed it was from a distance, but she planted the charge, activating both the adhesive and the timer simultaneously.

Then she booster jumped away again, sending out her grapple line. But the Ubergolem was pivoting, and the building she had been aiming for wheeled suddenly out of her line of fire, the hook trailing out into empty space.

But another grapple line from below twined around the end of hers, and she quickly activated the retracting winch, pulling the line taut. Grimm had hooked her line with his, and the anchor of his line gave her the time to find another building to target with the second grappler on her other hand.

Her shoulders strained as the pressure from both lines stretched her, but she managed to release her first grapple line and stop herself against the wall of the building she had aimed for. It was a rougher stop than she would have liked, but much more preferable than the plummet she would have experienced without Grimm's intervention. She landed on the shattered street beside him while he was retracting his own grapple line, looking up expectantly at the Ubergolem.

Maze had seen her plant something on the metal band, a tiny dot in his vision, but he knew that it must be some kind of weapon. And like a person trying to wipe something off, he rubbed his right hand across the left.

Kim and Grimm heard a reverberating pop, like a firework going off. She stared up in hope, but the band still seemed to be in place. 'No good!' Grimm shouted, watching the Ubergolem. It seemed to be inspecting the band, ensuring it was still intact. 'It deflected or damaged the charge enough to keep it from destroying the band!'

'How is it doing that?' Kim shouted back. 'None of the other golems acted like this - it's like it's alive!'

'It's Maze.' Grimm said. 'Somehow he's controlling it directly - probably through the Jammer.'

'But Dementor hasn't given us anything to block the Jammer yet!' Kim said.

Grimm stared up at the Ubergolem with a hopeless expression. 'As self-aware as the golem is, we'd need a dozen sap charges to destroy that band.' he said, 'And you're down to one. Unless we can restrain it somehow.'

'Restrain it?' she said. 'With what? We'd need a cargo plane full of Moo Goo to even slow it down! What can we do?'

Grimm was shaking his head. 'There's only one thing I can do - pray.'

Kim stared at him. 'What?' she said. But Grimm was bowing his head and chanting, the same low, muttering chant she'd heard him speaking in the trees behind her house.

Omahkkiaayowa,
Nitsiinihkatsimatsiiwa...

The Ubergolem was bearing down on them again. 'If you're not fighting, then stay out of my way.' Kim said, dashing back towards the Ubergolem. She twitched to the side as the golem stooped and heaved a dump-truck sized volley of rubble towards her. Her shield deflected the barrage, and she dashed around the towering figure, looking for another chance to make a run at the left hand.

But Maze turned, following her and keeping her in his sight, making sure his left arm was blocked by the enormous bulk of his body. 'No, Mi'kksiistsikomma...' he thought with a grim smile, 'I will not be distracted so easily!'

As the battle raged, Grimm knelt down by the side of the street, chanting over and over again.

Omahkkiaayowa,
Nitsiinihkatsimatsiiwa...

But as in the hollow of the Bear Spirit monument, he felt nothing. There was no feeling, no answer that came to him and he ground his teeth in frustration. Why wouldn't the Great Bear Spirit answer him? He had seen Rhonda use the Great Bear's power dozens of times. Why wouldn't he answer him?

And from distant memory, he recalled words he'd once read and nearly forgotten. When you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking.

There was a blast like a thunderclap across the street and a dull, sustained rumbling. Another building was collapsing.

Omahkkiaayowa....

Grimm started again, but stopped. He closed his eyes, concentrating. 'Great Bear Spirit,' he thought, focusing with all his might, 'Your power and your thought run through the Earth like the veins of a river. I know you can hear me. You know what we're fighting for. I came here because Rhonda said I should - that there was a reason I should be here. We'll never stop the golem without your strength. Please - help me to save your priestess!'

The noise and din of the surrounding chaos seemed to disappear somehow. Grimm stood alone in a dark, empty void. Like a vast, glowing hill, he saw the colossal form of a gigantic bear hunched before him, looking down at him with eyes that seemed both tired and slightly annoyed.

'You are not my chosen one, Otaatoyiwa.' came a low voice that rolled like thunder. 'It is not your place to speak to me, nor to make demands of me. Not even in her behalf.' The Great Bear spoke, though it's jaws did not move. The deep rumble of his thoughts echoed from everywhere.

Grimm stood, like a tiny mouse in front of a hulking elephant. He felt a flicker of fear, but quickly buried it. Even seeing Rhonda using the power of the Great Bear, even after their encounter with Maze, he had still only partly believed the legends. Now standing before the Great Bear, hearing his voice and seeing his size and power, he suddenly felt insignificant. But this was the opportunity he had been agonizing to have for so long. He spoke on, thinking of Rhonda and ignoring his fear.

'I know you can't - or you won't act to free her on your own. You'll send agents to do it for you. Possible and I will be your agents. Lend me your power - I don't care if it's only for a while. Let me use it so we can defeat Maze and find a way to set Rhonda free!'

The Great Bear looked down at him. 'You are a thief and a mercenary, Grimm Probable. Do not speak! Your lies are useless here - you trained Katasistsikoowa to use her power, but only for the promise of wealth and glory. Despite that, she will do mighty works for good. Unless you change with her, she will walk a different path from you. If you set your heart on riches and power, even if you save her, one day you will drift apart. Yet you seek to free her - for love.'

'Yes.' he said. 'I'll do whatever it takes to save her!'

The Great Bear paused, and almost smiled. 'There will be a price.' he said.

'No price is too high.' said Grimm fiercely.

'I do not speak of money.' said the Great Bear. 'My power is of the spirit world. It can affect the physical world more keenly than anything else. The price I speak of for you is a spiritual one.'

Grimm stared up at the Great Bear. 'Name it.' he said flatly.

The Great Bear looked more awake now, looking intensely at Grimm. 'You wish to save Katasistsikoowa and keep her love.' he said. 'For the first time in your life, you seek to fight for a noble cause and you expect nothing in return. You stand on the threshold of a new world, but your heart is steeped in darkness. This deed will kindle a light within you - and it will scorch the darkness, feeling to you like poison. That is the price you must pay. If you do this - you will be changed.'

Grimm clenched his fists. 'No price... is too high!' he said.

The Great Bear rose on his hind legs, towering above him. The pale smoke which had seemed to surround them both became a vortex, which spun around Grimm in glowing white tendrils. 'You have courage, Otaatoyiwa.' he said. 'Very well. You are not worthy to wield my power, but for the sake of my Priestess, I will fight this battle by your side...!'

Grimm opened his eyes, and a blue light was shining behind them.

Part V: The Great Bear Spirit

Kim turned, seeing a strange light rising behind her; an explosion of whitish-blue flame surrounding Grimm. The flames swept outwards, and despite being nearly a block away, Monique and Enrique were slammed against the wall of a nearby building by the force of it, though they could feel no heat. The curling threads of fire rose to a great height, and Maze himself paused in his pursuit of Kim to see what it might be.

From the spirit world, Rhonda was cheering. 'Way to go, Grimm!' she shrieked.

Kim stood dumbfounded as she looked up at the gigantic form of a great bear, over fifty feet tall, standing and glaring at the golem. Perched on his broad, humped back was Grimm. Draped from Grimm's ear were two eagle feathers, just like the ones that Rhonda had worn when fighting Kim.

His outfit had changed. Instead of the battle suit, he was wearing a tunic covered in strange marks, and he held a staff in his hand. He looked strangely impressive, standing on the back of the Great Bear as if he had been expecting its appearance. Looking out through the darkness in the cavity of the Ubergolem's forehead, Maze stared in amazement. 'The Great Bear Spirit has manifest himself.... for that brat?' he thought, a sensation of fear and jealously coursing through him.

Monique and Enrique looked up at him, their mouths hanging open. 'Holy crud..!' Monique said, scrabbling as she crabwalked backwards against the wall.

Grimm looked down at Monique, a tiny dot on the streets below him. 'What?' he said. 'Haven't you ever seen a guy riding on the back of a giant bear?'

'Head in the game, Otaatoyiwa.' came the voice of the Great Bear in Grimm's mind.

'Right - hold the golem.' Grimm thought, speaking no words. 'If you can bind it so it can't move, I'll do the rest.'

The Great Bear charged forward with a roar that shook the very ground. Kim gasped, for one of the bear's gigantic paws came down right next to her, actually brushing against her. But to her surprise, she felt nothing, as if the bear had no physical substance.

The Great Bear Spirit lurched forward, his massive clawed paws crashing into the forearms of the Ubergolem. The golem froze, quivering in place, trying to push it's way forward, but looking like a person in a wind tunnel struggling to walk forward against a raging gale.

Grimm leaped from the Bear Spirit's back and fell in a graceful arc, landing neatly on the back of the golem's left hand. The steel plate covering the sigils was beneath his feet, showing only a small crater caused by Kim's sap charge.

Moved by the Great Bear Spirit, Grimm knew what he had to do. At once, he took a bag of colored sand from around his belt, taking a handful and letting it fall in a trail forming a circle. As he continued to draw out patterns over the metal band, he chanted in a low breath.

Omahkkiaayowa, Nitsiinihkatsimatsiiwa!
Omahkkiaayowa, Nitsiinihkatsimatsiiwa!

'You don't have to pray, I'm right here!' The Great Bear's voice rumbled around him. 'Let my spirit guide your hand and complete the symbols quickly - I'm not certain how long I can restrain the golem!'

Abashed, Grimm continued to chant. Through his eyes, he saw patterns that glowed faintly with a blue light, and he followed them, laying trails of sand across them. Then from the corner of his eye he saw a huge shadow approaching him - the Ubergolem's right hand. It was rushing at him, a massive four-fingered avalanche of rock that would reduce him to a smear....

But a glowing blue shape blocked the golem as the Great Bear Spirit's paw intercepted the hand. Both the golem and the Great Bear were quivering as they strained against each other's power.

Kim stared up at the bizarre clash of titans. She could understand giant robots built by mad scientists, but the sight of a ghostly blue bear wrestling with a living colossus was beyond her experience.

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Some distance away, Summer Breeze stood speechless next to the cameraman. They were several blocks removed from the battle, screened by a convoy of tanks and jeeps which had cordoned off the area. But even through the dust and the buildings, the figures confronting each other in the distance could be seen. 'Are you... getting this?' she said at last.

'Uh huh....' said the cameraman, his voice sounding comically flat in his amazement.

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Through the eye of the Ubergolem, Maze stared into the face of the Great Bear. 'Why are you doing this?' he screamed with his mind. 'I am fighting to free you from the taint of the pale-faces!'

'You have many eyes in your service Sskipoyiwa, but you yourself are blinded.' said the Great Bear, his eyes narrowing. 'You are blinded by your hatred of the white man and your years of brooding over perceived injustices from an unreachable past. You could have been true friend and a powerful ally to my Priestess in the present. But like a starving wolf, you chose to gnaw the dry bones of your old schemes and your lust for revenge. In doing this - you have made yourself my enemy!'

'No!' Maze shouted, struggling wildly to break free from the Great Bear's restraining grip.

Grimm felt it when the symbols were complete. He stood up and brought the staff down with all his strength and the base smashed through the steel plate into the stone beneath like a pry bar into soft clay. The steel crumbled into dust and a spider-web of cracks spread out from the Aleph symbol, glowing white and piercing, then the sigil exploded like a concussion grenade.

Grimm was hurled back through the air. The staff was vanishing in his hand like smoke, the strange outfit he had worn had changed back into the white sheath of the battle-suit. He looked up and saw the form of the Great Bear Spirit, which was also fading away. It seemed to be happening to him in slow motion, and as he looked into the eyes of the Great Bear, he heard his voice thrumming in his mind.

'It is finished. My price is exacted. But even this victory will not bring back Katasistsikoowa. If you truly wish to save her - take Mi'kksiistsikomma to Yamanouchi. She must seek the wisdom... of the Mystical Monkey....'

Then the glowing form of the Great Bear vanished into the night like the passing of a dream. Grimm landed hard on the street, sliding back and gritting his teeth. The battle suit absorbed most of the impact, but he still felt lances of pain on every inch of his body.

Kim was by his side an instant later, followed by Monique and Enrique. Kim looked him over, but he didn't seem badly hurt. She looked back up at the Ubergolem. It was still moving, despite the large crater on it's left hand.

Maze glared down at Grimm and Kim, a mad rage burning inside him. 'I can still win!' he thought. 'They don't understand that this golem isn't alive in itself, but controlled by me. It will still respond to my will - I can still win!' And he turned, moving towards them again.

'Well that was a whole lot of nothing.' Kim said, helping Grimm to his elbows. 'It's still on its feet!'

'It can be destroyed now.' Grimm winced. 'Try not to screw it up.'

Kim turned her fierce eyes onto the Ubergolem, then the building behind it, and had an idea. 'Watch me.' she said, and she dashed towards it at her top speed.

Maze stared down through the Ubergolem's eye, seeing her approach, and slammed one gigantic fist into the ground in front of him with a thundering boom and an exploding cloud of debris.

But Kim sailed up through the cloud of dust, propelled by her booster soles, and used the golem's arm as a ramp. Once she reached the shoulder, she sent out her grapple line and rapidly ascended the building behind the golem, a taller skyscraper with a radio tower perched at the top. As she flew upwards past the base of the tower, she quickly planted the last sap charge at the base of the tower.

Maze heaved the Ubergolem up and swept out his right arm, turning towards the building and blasting a huge chunk from the middle floors with one blow, sending steel and glass everywhere. He readied himself for another punch. 'You can't escape from me up there, you meddlesome gnat!' he thought angrily. He would pull the entire building down and her with it, and the lower floors were already starting to collapse.

Kim perched at the top of the tower and sent the grapple line from her other arm down towards the Ubergolem's head. It lashed around it's neck and Kim detached the line, hitching it swiftly and securely around the crossbeams at the tower's apex.

The sap charge went off with a deafening boom and Kim activated the winch on the grapple line, pulling with all her might as the building twisted and crumbled beneath her. The tower loosened from it's base and the grapple line winches pulled it point downwards like a giant metallic spearhead as she sailed down towards the Ubergolem's head.

At the last minute, she detached her first grapple line and sent it flying out across the street towards another building, leaping out in a swinging arc.

Maze saw her leap, but any thought of pursuit was quelled as he stared up in shock at the falling tower.

The metal plowed into the Ubergolem's neck, and Monique saw it's body splitting apart into jagged chunks with a deafening roar. Fragments of stone scattered everywhere and she shielded her eyes as an expanding ring of dust swept across them all. Through the haze, she saw Kim landing smoothly on her feet, dropping down on one knee.

She slowly stood up, retracting her grapple line. With a rolling thud, the Ubergolem's head landed heavily next to her, gouging a deep rut in the street, a web of cracks spreading across it's gray surface and turning the dark slit of it's eye socket into a jagged crater.

Monique and Enrique stared at her with open mouths, and even Grimm seemed impressed, though he quickly shook his head and looked away. 'Show off...' he muttered, rubbing his injured arm.

Monique was shaking her head and smiling. 'Girl... you rock!' she said, and Rufus was jumping up and down on her shoulder, letting out squeaking cheers.

And from all around them, breaking the silence that had fallen after the Ubergolem's destruction, there came a rising swell of sound that built into a constant roar. The National Guard, the police and local militia, several news crews and a medley of citizens were rushing towards them like an oncoming tidal wave, shouting and cheering.

A panicked look went over Grimm's face as he spotted the incoming mob. Gripping his arm with another wince, he stood up and pulled Enrique after him, activating his stealth mode. They dashed towards a nearby alleyway between two damaged buildings and disappeared into the shadows.

Kim and Monique were soon surrounded by a cheering horde. The National Guard commander saluted from his jeep while dust-covered troops mirrored his gesture. Cell phone cameras flashed and clicked, and Monique found herself swept up along with Kim by the throng, being lifted and paraded to who knew where.

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And in the spirit world, both Ron and Rhonda were whooping. Rhonda actually threw her arms around Ron, tears streaming down her face. 'They did it!' she said, sobbing. 'They did it, they did it....'

Ron was overjoyed too, but also suddenly uncomfortable as his mercenary rival buried her head in his shoulder and broke into deep, racking sobs. 'Uh... yeah.' he said, patting her awkwardly on the head. 'That was pretty badical...'

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Summer Breeze was pushing her hair back into place with her hand as she was jostled around by dozens of people trying to reach the scene, struggling to keep her microphone in place in front of her. '...a spectacular battle, and another menace to the city, once again brought to an end by Kim Possible! This station hopes to be granted an exclusive interview, but in the meantime we will keep our viewers informed with updates as we learn them...'

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The lair was still and silent. Maze stood in the Immersion Pod, stricken with anger and disbelief. The Ubergolem was destroyed. And his hated enemy - that pale-faced boy - had actually summoned the Great Bear Spirit. His mind reeled. It was impossible - the Great Bear existed to serve his own people - to serve him.

'They have corrupted even the Great Bear!' he thought, 'Is there no end to the white man's decaying influence?'

'Sskipoyiwa,' Monkey Fist's voice sounded through the communicator mounted inside the Immersion Pod - an anchor that pulled him back to reality. 'Dr. Drakken and I have completed our raid of the Middleton Space Center. We are back at the original drop point, but we need you to re-open the shadow passage so we can make our escape.'

Maze didn't answer for a moment. Did not Maokiiwa and the blue one realize the defeat he had suffered? Did they not understand the turmoil he was now feeling?

'Maze - can you hear me?' Monkey Fist said, sounding more urgent.

'Yes.' he answered at last.

'Then get us back to the lair at once before the satellite passes out of range.' he said insistently. 'I don't want to be stuck here when the National Guard has recovered from their shock.'

Maze shook his head to clear his thoughts. Yes, there was still his original plan. The pale-faces were not yet aware of that... He gathered his concentration, and glanced at the monitors inside the Immersion Pod which showed pictures of a darkened warehouse in Middleton. He focused his will through the mini-Jammer, letting himself sense the shadows nearly half-way across the world where his allies were waiting...

What can be seen in a mirror, but also had in a moment's pause?

Author: The opening of this chapter was just my way of explaining how Dementor was in attendance at the medal presentation in the Graduation Day episode of Kim Possible - after he had been caught in "Larry's Birthday". I find it so much better to say how some things happen, rather than just letting them happen without explanation. (The number of times they let the Joker get out of Arkham in Batman episodes without explaining how.... honestly, I tell ya. You can't just assume that readers will accept it when you just say 'oh they always get out of jail somehow - don't question it.')

I also took the chance to explain why Kim's suit was malfunctioning periodically in Season 4, and why Wade seemed to be having so much trouble with it. I didn't mind putting in a nod to all the people who were saying in their reviews that they thought a Wade and Jade pairing would be cute. It's still too creepy to have them in an adult style relationship (or even a teen one) as they're still too young. But after the Valentine's Day episode, it was plain that Wade at least has a mind for romance ;)

And so Grimm finally communes with the Great Bear Spirit in a fight scene I'd had in mind for ages. Yeah, I admit I was inspired by the 'summoning jutsu' scenes in some episodes of Naruto. But hopefully I put my own unique spin on it.

And bear in mind readers - even though it SEEMS like Ron and Rhonda have been in the spirit world for ages (given the number of chapters and the time between postings) in 'real time', only about 3 weeks have passed since they were banished....

Grimm has finally reached a level of spiritual awareness with Rhonda. What will this mean for Kim? Who is the Mystical Monkey? What exactly is the price which the Great Bear took from Grimm? All these questions and more will be answered soon, so keep watching for the next chapter!

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