Previously in Sophomore Slump…

"Why didn't you tell us!?" Ron shouted.

"Normally, I'd say Ron was overreacting, but he's right; why didn't you tell us?" Kim asked.

"I apologize," Yori replied. "Sensei can see Stoppable-San's destiny—yours too—and it is usually straightforward."

"But…" Kim encouraged.

"But every possible path is converging, leaving him in the dark. There may be a battle on the horizon, and there may not be," Yori explained. "There was an attack at Yamanouchi last night. This changes things."

"It certainly does, but how are we supposed to stop whatever it is if we don't know what it is," Ron pointed out.

A loud explosion had them all ducking. One of the cars in Bueno Nacho's parking lot burst into flames.

The kimmunicator went off.

"Wade, what's going on!?" Kim asked. "A random car just blew up."

"I have a video message sent to the site for Ron," he told them.

All three of them watched the screen as it played. A face appeared that was familiar to both Yori and Ron.

"Hello, outsider."

Somewhere, deep in the thicket of the woods, Fukushima made preparations for his ultimate plan. With three students from Yamanouchi taken as his hostages after the attack last night, he had a good bargaining chip. His fingers traced the rough parchment that was once in Monkey Fist's possession, learning all he could of the Yono. He had to think carefully of the execution of his plans. If he played his cards right, the world would bow down to him.

Steadying the camera, Fukushima began his video message, cliché as it may be for villains. "Hello, outsider."

"Ima ikimasu?" Kim looked over at Yori cluelessly.

"He says that he is coming," she answered, noticing the grave looks on their faces. Yori felt the deep regret of having not said something sooner to prepare them for this battle.

"He's coming…for what?" Ron's voice trembled slightly, fearing for Kim's safety, and his sister's.

"All of us," Yori confirmed hanging her head in despair.

Ron immediately locked his eyes on Kim's, both sharing a moment of fearing what's to come. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"If he's coming to Middleton, we could try an ambush," Yori suggested, her eyes meeting with Kim's. "The element of surprise is always best, unless of course, he expects it." Kim looked over to get Ron's opinion, but he was pre-occupied with hanging upside down from the sofa.

"Whoa, head rush," he remarked, sitting right side up again. "Nobody knows Fukushima's tactics like I do. He'll be expecting an ambush. What we need to do is figure out why he's coming to Middleton in the first place. He knows nothing of this land. The real fight will be in Japan."

"Makes sense," Kim agreed. "He's coming for us, but in what way? Obviously it won't be a fight, so he'll try to find our vulnerabilities."

"Not ours," Ron corrected her. "My vulnerabilities. He's gonna go after the people I love most." His soft brown eyes, filled with worry, locked on Kim's emerald ones.

Kim, reading his thoughts effortlessly, made a crucial point to him. "It's not gonna be just me, Ron. He'll try to go after your family too."

"I'll guard them if I have to," Yori offered. "If he's going after anyone, it'll be Hana."

"I won't let that happen." Ron stood up and began pacing. "He'd have to kill me first before I ever let him near Hana; before I let him near any of you."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Kim added. "We need to be two steps ahead. He's here for Hana, check. But now we just need to know what for? What's his endgame?"

"He'd only take Hana if he needed her for something; I don't think he'd hurt her. She may be a toddler, but you have to remember, she is a prophesized human weapon. Monkey Fist needed her, and now Fukushima." Yori stopped to let it sink in. "I'll look into more of the ancient legends to see if I find anything that mentions The Han."

"Please and thank you," Kim smiled. As Yori left, Kim slid her hand into Ron's. "We won't let anything happen to Hana. We'll get him."

"But what do we do now?" Ron asked, unsure of what steps to take next.

"We wait," Kim replied simply. "But until then, I am determined for us to have a good Memorial Day cookout. It is tradition after all."

And it was. Ever since they were four years old, both of their families would always gather together for the annual Possible/Stoppable Memorial Day cookout. Each family took turns hosting it, and it was a favorite time of year for Kim and Ron. There'd always be music playing, blasting from the outdoor speakers. When they were small, there'd be a kiddie pool for her and Ron to play in while their dads grilled outdoors, with their moms preparing side dishes in the kitchen. As they got older, they traded the kiddie pool for frisbee and water gun fights.

Their first Memorial Day cookout since taking that step into a romantic relationship, Ron used unfair tactics during their water gun fight. He had called a timeout when Kim found him hiding behind a tree, claiming he needed to catch his breath. She ran her fingers through his damp hair, smoothing it back. Kim was caught up in the way he was looking at her, eyes so full of love. Ron leaned in ever so slowly, his lips barely touching hers when he sprayed all the water he had left over her head, but she didn't care. Kim finished what he started, pressing her lips to his fervently, tossing the water gun behind her.

Snapping out of her reminiscent state of mind, Kim smiled at Ron reassuringly before they descended down the ladder. If this was the only fun they were gonna have before all hell breaks loose, then she was determined to make the most of it.

Author's Note: We're gonna have some lighthearted fun in the next chapter, but I can't promise it'll end on a lighthearted note. Gotta have them cliffhangers lol! Also, I wanted to ask the Kimmunity, if you haven't already, please sign my season 5 petition for Kim Possible, regardless of whether you liked or disliked the movie. Bob and Mark recently said there's still a chance for the cartoon to come back! Let's put all our differences aside, and band together! Just Google 'Kim Possible Season 5 Petition and it's the first result! Please and thank you!