I'm running out of witty things to say about me not owning "Kim Possible". I mean seriously, how insecure is Disney if you have to do this every time to avoid bringing the wrath of a tyrannical mouse down upon your head.

Chapter 8: Split

The gymnasium was busy as usual. New classes of CIA recruits were being put through the paces while veteran agents honed their skills. At the far corner, a small girl and a huge man circled each other. Yuri and Daniel had finished their warm-ups and were prepared for a friendly bout of sparring. Even though she had told him it was okay, Daniel still felt strange about squaring off with a woman, especially one who was less than half his size. His eyes peered over his massive fists as they sized each other up. Dragonfly hadn't assumed any kind of stance; she just kept circling and staring at him with those piercing eyes of hers. He could feel the stare begin to burn though the back of his head. It was clear that she wasn't going to make the first move so he would have to get things going.

Daniel planted his foot and charged forward. He threw a series of quick jabs only to have the quick and agile Yuri dance between them. With her amazing speed, she worked her way inside of his massive reach and spun hard on her heel. She planted her fist into her palm in order to brace the elbow strike she had aimed at Daniel's sternum. Suddenly, she felt a vice-like grip on both of her shoulders. Daniel had managed to pivot behind her. She felt the ground vanish from beneath her feet and the air begin to rush around her. Daniel flung the small girl into the air as if she were a rag doll. The ground and the ceiling spun in front of her eyes as she hurdled end over end. Thinking quickly, she extended her arms and legs in an effort to regain control. As soon as she found her bearings, she flipped neatly in the air and landed sharply on the mat beneath her. She stood up slowly and shot Daniel a glare that would frighten an elephant.

Daniel: "Um, sorry about that. Guess I got a little carried away."

Yuri: Cracks her knuckles "Come."

Daniel didn't think twice as he charged at Yuri again and threw a massive left hook. She ducked quickly and let his weight carry him forward. Daniel was about to sweep at her legs with his right foot when he suddenly stopped. His neck tensed as his heart jumped into his throat. His vision blurred as he looked down. Dragonfly's heel was pressed deeply into his groin. He looked up at Yuri's face with a confused look.

Yuri: "Even."

Daniel: "I gotcha."

Ron couldn't help but chuckle as Daniel collapsed into a heap on the blue mat. It was true that he had a tendency to forget just how strong he was. Ron had walked over to help the large man to his feet when he heard Nick's voice behind him.

Nick: "That had to hurt."

Ron: "Now that's an understatement if I ever heard one."

Nick: "Where's Kim? I thought this was a group exercise."

Ron: "She got held up in a meeting with Leon."

Nick: "Well in that case, how about going a couple rounds before she gets here?"

Ron: "I guess so. Just give me a sec."

Ron helped Daniel off the mat. The big man was still in pain as he lay down on the bleachers. Yuri seemed to pay no mind as she stretched her muscles and continued her training on a nearby punching bag. Ron shook his head as he began to stretch and loosen up. He didn't think he was ever going to be able to figure out just how Yuri operated. Still, he was relieved that she was on his side. Ron's focus shifted as he stepped onto the mat with Nick.

They began to circle each other slowly. Nick threw a kick to Ron's legs, which was easily avoided. Ron counted with a quick jab that was neatly sidestepped. These were only preliminaries as they sized each other up. Nick's telltale smirk began to form on his face. It made Ron uneasy since that look usually meant trouble was soon to follow.

Nick: "Stop playing around man."

Ron: "I'm not. It's just sparring."

Nick: "Don't give me that. I wanna see some of that Mystical Monkey Kung-Fu I've heard so much about."

Ron: "No way dude. That's some serious stuff you're talking about."

Nick: "So? It's not like things don't get serious in the field."

Ron: "It's not that. You have to understand that it's hard for me to control still. I don' t want to hurt you."

Nick: "I'm not scared. So come on, show me what you can really do."

Ron: "You know what, let's just stop if you're going to be like that."

Nick: "Sorry, it's not that easy."

Ron had turned to walk away when he felt a hand grab his shoulder and spin him around. Before he could react, Ron felt the Nick's heel dig into his cheek and whip his head around. A second later, his face was pressed against the cool blue mat. His vision was blurred as he felt a pair of strong hands lift him up and place him back on his feet. It took a moment for Ron to even register what had happened. As his vision cleared, he saw Nick at the other end of the mat. The arrogant recruit was bobbing and weaving as if he were the main event at Caesar's Palace.

Nick: "Is that all you got? Come on man, I didn't get out of bed just for a warm up."

Ron: "Alright asshole. You asked for it."

Daniel: "Ron, chill out man. He's not worth it."

Ron: "You're right, he's not. Now he needs to know that."

Nick: "Well alright then. Let's see what you can do."

Ron shook off the ringing sensation in his ears and stepped forward. He focused all of his energies inward and began to summon the primal forces dwelling deep within. His heart began to race as his blood boiled. He could taste the adrenaline in the air. He could hear Nick's heart beating in his chest. He could see every one of his opponent's muscles pull and twist beneath the skin. Ron's eyes snapped open with a fire rarely seen in the usually calm and carefree youth.

Nick shot forward and threw a well-aimed roundhouse kick at Ron's head. To his surprise, he missed his target completely as Ron threw himself onto the mat and rolled away. Nick gave no quarter as he charged again. He erupted with a flurry of fists that Ron calmly dodged and ducked under. Nick was beginning to breath heavily. His attacks never touched Stoppable who wasn't even breaking a sweat. Suddenly, Ron charged forward. Seeing no other options, Nick braced for impact. At the last second, Ron flipped over his opponent and landed behind him. Not wanting to be humiliated, Nick whipped around with his elbow but nobody was there. He looked down to see Ron kneeling in front of him. Like a rocket, Ron shot up from his position and connected with a hard uppercut. Nick was taken off his feet instantly. In midair, Ron followed up with a roundhouse kick that sent him sprawling. Before he could acknowledge his victory, Ron heard a familiar voice coming from behind him.

Kim: "RON! What are you doing!"

Ron: "Kim, hey there! I...um...that is...I didn't see you come in."

Kim: "No kidding."

Ron: "Kim I can explain..."

Kim: "You don't need to explain. It's the same as every other time."

Ron: "What?"

Kim: "Don't play dumb. Every time you get a little taste of power or authority, you go nuts and start acting like a jerk."

Ron: "No, it's not like that. We were just training. Hey Nick, tell her."

Nick: "Uuugghhn."

Kim: "Fine, you go back to 'training'. I'm taking Nick to the infirmary."

Ron: "KP wait. I'll go with you."

Kim: "You know what Ron? You're not exactly my favorite person in the world right now. Hey Ox, can you lend a hand?"

Daniel: "Yeah, I guess so. Whispers to Ron: Sorry man."

Ron could only watch as Kim and Daniel helped Nick up to his feet. When they reached the door, Ron could have sworn that he saw Nick look over his shoulder and wink at him. A stew of mixed emotions flooded over him. He was angry, confused and ultimately saddened. It was never his choice to even be involved in this line of work. He had planned to be apprenticing under a top gourmet chef by now, not combat training in a CIA facility.

Ron's mind wandered as he stared out into the night sky. He hated these long flights. Just the thought of Kim and Nick sitting together was enough to turn his stomach. He couldn't stand to burden Daniel and Yuri with his mood either. So he often sat alone in the back of the plane and busied himself with mission briefs from Wade and reports handed to him from Leon. He hadn't even notice Shego until she spoke. She could still get the drop on him. That fact made him even more uneasy about having her around.

Shego: "What's going on Stoppable?"

Ron: "What do you care?"

Shego: "Geeze, I was just asking. No need to be snippy about it."

Ron: "Don't give me that. You're playing at something and I want to know what exactly what it is."

Shego: "I have my reasons."

Ron: "You'll excuse me if I don't take your story at face value then."

Shego: "I honestly couldn't care less whether you believe me or not."

Ron: "At least we have an understanding."

Shego: "I guess we do. So can I ask you something?"

Ron: "What is it now?"

Shego: "What happened with you and Kim? I mean didn't you two have that whole small-town-girl-next-door thing going?"

Ron: "Just leave it alone already...it's complicated."

Shego: "I don't think it's as complicated as you make it out to be. Let me see if I can play it out. The CIA recruits you two. You go on a few missions around the world. She starts to like the whole James Bond scene and falls for tall dark and greasy over there."

Ron: "You don't know anything."

Shego: "Then why don't you enlighten me?"

Ron: "Because it's none of your business."

Shego: "Ok, I'm done being nice about this. I'm not asking you because I want to catch up on who's-shagging-who. If we're going to go after Drakken, you both need to be on your 'A' game. That means I need to know if you can work together. I figured since you're her second-in-"

Ron: "I'm not her second in command anymore."

Shego: "So she replaced you with Mr. Suave over there?"

Ron: "No, I'm in command of this unit."

Shego: "Seriously?"

Ron: "Seriously."

Ron and Kim sat in silence as they waited for Leon. The large oak conference table between them might as well have been a stone wall. Kim's face was set in stone as she fumed. Ron sighed and rested his head in his hands. The last six months had been a whirlwind of missions and heated emotions. He couldn't help but feel that Kim was growing more and more distant.

Ron: "Look KP. I'm sorry, I just-"

Kim: "Cram it Ron. I never thought you of all people would do something like that to me."

Ron: "I didn't have a choice Kim."

Kim: "You had a choice all right. You just chose to be Mr. Macho again."

Ron: "You almost got us killed!"

Kim: "You hit me!"

Ron: "If I didn't, we'd all-"

Kim: "If you didn't loose your nerve like you always do, we would have completed our mission!"

Ron: "I didn't loose my nerve!"

Kim: "Then what was it, huh? We've been in way tighter spots than that before."

Ron: "Are you listening to yourself?"

Kim: "I think the real question is whether you're listening to me."

Ron: "I'm listening alright. The problem is that all I'm hearing is the legendary Possible stubborn streak. You hate losing so much that you won't admit that we were in over our heads. I mean come on, Daniel and Yuri-"

Kim: "They can handle themselves."

Ron: "They were completely pinned!"

Kim: "And Nick would've been able to cover them."

Ron: "Oh come on, don't tell me you actually believe that!"

Kim: "Just because you have a problem with him, it doesn't mean he can't do the job."

Ron: "He has yet to do his job even once!"

Kim: "Because you never give him a chance!"

Ron: "I don't trust him; not with my life and certainly not with yours or anybody else's on this team."

Kim: "So you don't think I take everyone's safety into account when I make a decision or something?"

Ron: "No, I think you're still trying to prove something to the world."

Kim: "Oh yeah, like what?"

Ron: "That you're not a fluke of genetics."

Kim: "Shut up."

Ron: "You don't have to prove to the world that you're different from your parents. You don't have to risk your life to set yourself apart from them or their legacies."

Kim: "Just shut up! You don't know a damn thing about why I do the things I do."

Before they could continue, the door opened and a very dark-faced Leon walked in. His usually calm swagger was now a sharp and swift march over to his seat. He threw the pile of folders he had been carrying down onto the conference, their contents sliding over to Ron and Kim. Leon took a long drag on his cigarette before speaking.

Leon: "This level of failure is unacceptable. You didn't complete your mission, but on top of that, now the objective knows that somebody is watching him. I suppose we should be just be grateful that nobody was wearing bright yellow CIA jogging suits. I've already spoken to the other members of your team, as well as your data relay officer. Before either of you say anything, I believe that I have already narrowed down the problem but I still want to hear it from the both of you. What happened out there?"

Kim: "Leon, everything was going fine until about halfway through the operation. We don't know how, but Ox and Dragonfly were discovered before they could reach their positions and Chameleon was still covering our entrance route. I made the decision to continue the mission and that's when Ron started to second guess me. When Ox and Dragonfly came under fire, Ron completely freaked out. And that's when he took it upon himself to end the mission."

Leon: "Yes, I read that part of the report already. Ron, you actually hit Ms. Possible here?"

Ron: "She didn't give me much of a choice. She refused to leave even when the rest of the team was pinned by hostile fire."

Leon: "And you didn't trust her judgment?"

Ron: "I hate to say it, but Kim has tendency to loose perspective during a mission. She applies her standards to everyone else and that just doesn't work. So yes, I hit her and got everyone out of there. It was a stealth mission and we weren't equipped for a sustained firefight."

Kim: "I knew exactly what was-"

Leon: "That's enough, I've already found out what I need to know. It's not easy to do this, but a change has to be made. Possible, you are no longer in command of the Menagerie-One team. I'm promoting Stoppable to team leader, effective immediately. Stoppable, please assign your second-in-command ASAP and let me know who it is."

Kim: "WHAT! But how-why-"

Leon: "Because Ms. Possible, you came closer to losing your team than you know. By the time Ron had gotten you out of there, Steele and Himura had almost exhausted their entire ammunition supply. Any longer and they would have been up to their ears in mercenaries with nothing but their skills and a few well-thought prayers. You are not aware of your team's capabilities the way Mr. Stoppable is."

Kim: "Fine, so I guess that's it then. Congratulations Ron. If I'm dismissed, I'll be on my way."

Leon: "You're both dismissed."

Ron: "KP..."

Kim: "It's fine Ron. Just fine."

Without another word, Kim stood up and stormed out of the conference room. Ron was quick to follow, almost knocking over his seat as he ran after her. The news had been as much of a shock to him as it was for Kim. Leon only sighed as he watched them disappear from sight. Complications were always unwelcome in his line of work, and this one was going to be big.

Ron caught up with Kim just as she cleared the final security checkpoint. He felt as if he had lead weights tied to his legs as he approached her. His breath was short and he felt as if he had nothing but sand in his mouth. Before he could say anything, Kim turned around. Her face was dark as a moonless night. Her piercing green eyes were set in stone as she spoke to him through gritted teeth.

Kim: "What is it Ron?"

Ron: "Kim, are you okay?"

Kim: "Oh, so now you care? You've got your way, so I guess it's ok to ask if you even hurt me back there."

Ron: "Look, I'm sorry. I never wanted this Kim."

Kim: "I'd like to believe you Ron. But I just can't shake this feeling that you've always resented me being in command."

Ron: "What? I've never felt like that."

Kim: "Oh really?"

Ron: "Ok, well maybe a little at first. I mean, you've been sticking up for me since we were kids. It can be a little emasculating at times."

Kim: "Well congratulations, you have your manhood back."

Ron: "Kim, that's not what I'm trying to say."

Kim: "I don't want to talk about it anymore, so could you just go away?"

Ron: "What?"

Kim: "Just leave me the hell alone! I don't want to see you!"

Ron: "Fine, if that's how you want to play it then you won't have to worry about seeing me for a long time."

Ron could feel the anger build up in his chest as he turned and walked away. He had never been so angry with Kim. Once again, her A-type, perfectionist, stubborn-streak had done most of the talking. She was impossible to reason with when she was like this. He found his 1969 Ford Mustang in the parking garage and fired the engine as soon as he got in. The smell of burnt rubber filled the air as he peeled out into the night. He needed sometime to clear his head and think things over. There was a nice little motel nearby when he could be alone for a day or two.

Shego: "Well, that was nice and dramatic. I think I'll go see what's keeping the bartender. You just sit there and brood like a good little spy commander."

Before Ron could say anything else, Shego was out of her seat and headed towards the front of the jet. He clenched his teeth and leaned back his chair. A flood of painful memories swept over him. He couldn't help but wonder just how things had gotten so out of control. Not wanting to think about it anymore, he dove back into the stack of dossiers and mission profiles he had brought with him.

Shego made her way slowly into the forward part of the cabin. Over the back of the seats, she could make out the back of Kim's head as she leaned against Nick. Shego rolled her eyes at the sight. A sly smile crept across her face as an idea came to her. She made her way silently towards Kim's silhouette. At the last second, she threw herself heavily on the back of the couple's seats. Kim was jolted from her sleep and sprang up instantly. She relaxed once she figured out that it was just Shego.

Kim: "What do you want?"

Shego: "Hey, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just here because Captain Scar over there said he wanted to have a little chat with whatshisname here."

Nick: "What the hell could he want now?" I'll be back Kim."

Kim: "Sure thing."

Shego moved only slightly as Nick pushed past her muttering something inaudible to himself. As soon as he was gone, Shego plopped down in his seat. She used her thumb to neatly flick the cap off of the Corona bottle she had pilfered from the galley. Kim watched in annoyance as her rival made herself comfortable.

Kim: "Is there something I can help you with?"

Shego: "Not really. Oh if you're that tired, feel free to use my shoulder while he's gone."

Kim: "Leon didn't want to talk with Nick did he?"

Shego: "I don't know them all that well yet, but I've got the feeling they'll find something to talk about."

Kim: "What do you want Shego?"

Shego: "Oh you know, just the usual, hair tips, political views, what the deal with you and Stoppable is."

Kim: "That's-"

Shego: "None of my business, I know. (Takes a swig of her beer.) Look, I've already got most of the story from him. He stole your thunder, yadda-yadda-yadda. What I'm looking for are the details he's holding back. You know, the good stuff."

Kim: "How is any of this supposed to be helpful?"

Shego: "Look, I've already told Stoppable this. If you want to stop Drakken, you need to be at the top of your game. And that means getting over whatever baggage the two of you are carrying now. I didn't go through all of this bullshit to end up with second place. Do you know what kind of weird crap Drakken will do to me if we're caught? Seriously, you've seen the way he looks at me."

Kim: "What's your stake in all of this. You're not exactly the patriotic type. A few years ago, you'd be right there helping him."

Shego: "You show me yours, I'll show you mine."

Kim: "Fine. But it really doesn't go much farther than what Ron told you."

Ron switched off the ignition and sat silently in his car. He stared up at the apartment he shared with Kim. It had been two days since they last spoke. He practiced what he would say to Kim when he saw her. He wanted to run up the stairs and try to put this whole ugly mess behind them, but his hands seemed to be frozen to the steering wheel. He felt Ruby leave his pocket and gently nuzzle his chin. He patted the small mole-rat softly before taking a deep breath and getting out of the car. The stairs seemed to go on forever as he marched up to their third-floor apartment. He was ready to use his key when he decided against it. He didn't know what kind of a mood Kim would be in. He knocked lightly and waited. He could hear the deadbolt slide and the door opened slightly. Kim stood in front of him in nothing but her nightshirt. Ron could feel his breath shudder as he took it all in. She was just as beautiful as she ever was. But something was off about her. She had seemed surprised to see him and even now, she wouldn't look into his eyes.

Kim: "R-Ron. Hey."

Ron: "Hey KP. L-Look we need to talk. I'm sorry about what happened."

Kim: "Yeah me too."

Ron: "I never wanted to hurt you. It's just that-God-you know? I never saw our lives being like this."

Kim: "Me either."

Ron: "I figured I'd become a chef and open up a little cafe somewhere. You'd be a lawyer and we'd come home everyday and talk about our days over dinner. Just like normal people, you know?"

Kim: "That would've been nice."

Ron: "Can I come in so we can talk?"

Kim: "Not now Ron. I mean-I want to, but I just need a little more time to thi-"

Nick: "Yo babe! I think something's wrong with your water heat-"

Nick stopped in his tracks. Ron was looking right at him over the top of Kim's head. Nick was completely naked except for the bath towel around his mid-section. Ron was also frozen in his tracks. His eyes scanned the room behind Kim. A pair of men's slacks were draped over the back of the couch. A woman's bra and panties lay in the hallway leading to the bedroom. The heavy smell of musk hung in the air. Ron was amazed that he hadn't noticed it before. He looked down to Kim for some sort of explanation. He hoped against all hope that this was just some heinous nightmare that he could wake up from. Kim offered no comfort. The shameful look in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

Nick: "H-Hey Stoppable. I-I...that is."

Ron: "Fuck off Nick."

Kim: "Ron- I- (she reaches out for his hand)"

Ron: "Don't touch me! How could you? How could you? I would never- I gotta get out of here."

Ron fought the impulse to got back into the apartment and tear Nick limb from limb as he ran down the stairs. His legs couldn't carry him fast enough as he made his way to the car. Kim was calling after him but he couldn't hear what she was saying. He didn't care either. Ron could feel the emptiness grab his soul and swallow everything that was ever dear to him.

Kim: "I tried everything I could think of, but he didn't want anything to do with me. After that he stopped being 'Ron' and started being 'Spider'. I was so stupid."

Shego: "I'll say, why would you even consider the human Vidal Sassoon Commercial as an option? I mean come on, I thought your standards were a little higher."

Kim: "I was hurt, and he comforted me. We never meant for it to go that far. He made me forget how much I was hurting at the time. When Ron and I ended, he was there for me. The more I got to know him, the more I realized that he wasn't really such a bad guy. He just doesn't like to let people in."

Shego: "Ok, well I'm bored now. See ya Kimmie."

Kim: "Oh no you don't, I told you what you wanted to hear. Now you have to tell me why you're helping us."

Shego stopped, her catlike-grin turned serious as she looked back at Kim.

Shego: "You're not the only ones with family you know."

To be continued...

I'm sorry this chapter took so long. I had a major writers block mixed in with some personal issues to work through. I'll try to get the next chapter up and going as soon as possible. Until next time...may it not be another eternity.