Disclaimer: Nope, don't own any of the KP characters from the series. They belong to Disney. A few of the bit players are mine. This epic, along with the rest of my writing career is, unfortunately, a non-profit operation.

Chapter 8 – Motor Ed Slips Away

Dessert had not been served when a familiar sound came from Ron's pocket. Ron started to answer, but Kim grabbed the device and keyed it. "This better be good, Wade," she growled at the tech guru.

"This one is classic," Wade replied. Yori stood behind him obviously struggling to control her laughter. "You know the police chief's conference Global Justice is hosting at the Middleton Convention Center?"

"Heard about it," Kim replied, her interest piqued.

"Among the exhibits at the accompanying trade show was the latest in urban police mobility, the Paladin. It's a six wheel armored vehicle with state of the art weapons and defense systems, active camouflage, and a high performance, high efficency engine."

"Was?"

"During a reception in the trade show hall for the top people in Global Justice and a large number of senior police officers from around the country Motor Ed and a couple of his boys made off with it. Seems nobody bothered to lock it or take the keys."

Next to her Ron was laughing as Kim asked, "Since GJ let it get away, why aren't they handling it?"

"It's one of a kind. Landover Engineering, the company that built it called. Seems everything GJ has come up involves destroying the thing. Landover wants it back in one piece."

"We'll see what we can do," Kim replied. "Lets go, Ron."

"Shouldn't we pick up Yori?" he asked.

"No time. Besides this will be a great opportunity for her to see how a mission runs from Wade's end. It's only Motor Ed," Kim replied, pleased she had a plausible excuse not to include the ninja on this mission.

Ron quickly paid the check, then the duo headed out to the Sloth. After a quick change into mission clothes ("Ron, I said turn around!) they were heading for the convention center. Wade came on the screen in the car filling in more details of the theft. "Fortunately all the weapons on board where non functioning models. Unfortunately all the surveillance systems work so it will be hard to sneak up on Motor Ed unless he and his crew leave the vehicle. They were last seen heading toward Lowerton."

Kim and Ron looked at each other "Time share lair," they said in unison.

"Jinx, you owe me a soda," Kim got in first.

It took only a few minutes to reach their destination. Parking the car out of sight, they entered the compound through an underground utility tunnel, emerging behind the buildings. Rufus went up first, looking around to make sure they would not be seen leaving the tunnel. Kim and Ron followed, moving quickly to the shadows behind the building. There wasn't much activity in the compound so they were able to move fairly quickly. They went first to the mailboxes. Sure enough, the name Lipsky was displayed on the box for lair 129. "Figures," Kim whispered. "Same one Drakken uses."

Having been to this particular lair several times, entry was easy. Once inside, they moved around several piles of crates and looked into the lab area of the lair. The Paladin was just sitting there, with Motor Ed relaxing in a chair in front of it. Kim stepped from behind the crates, hands on hips, informing Ed, "You are so busted. Hand over the keys."

"Hey, Red, hoped you'd come by, seriously." Ed replied. "Rumor was you were out of the game and Skinny Dude had a new gig with some Asian babe."

"So not," Kim replied, heading toward the mullet haired mechanic intending to take him down.

Seeing her coming, Ed reached behind his chair for a hose and began spraying oil on the floor in front of Kim. Her attempt at a graceful leap toward him ended in a slip and fall. Coming around the other side of the vehicle, Ron met a similar fate as Ed turned the hose in his direction.

As the two heroes struggled back to their feet Ed headed out the door. Tossing the keys toward Kim he said, "you can have the copmobile. It's totally bogus, seriously. My boys already collected what we came for so we'll be leaving now." He made his exit to the strains of an air guitar solo. Kim attempted to follow; only to lose her footing again in her oil slicked boots.

Activating her kimmunicator, she told Wade. "I need a scan of this vehicle now."

A beam passed over the police vehicle from front to rear then Wade reported, "everything looks normal to me. According to the information from Landover, there doesn't seem to be any damage or anything missing."

"Call Landover to come and get it. And let GJ know Motor Ed got away."

"Gave you the slip?" Wade asked, noticing Kim covered in oil. The sight of Yori laughing over his shoulder compounded her anger. She growled at the sitch and turned off the kimmunicator.

When Ben Holliday, owner Landover Engineering and the Paladin arrived, Kim accepted his thanks while Ron stood in the background as usual. Then the two headed back to the car. Kim was first around the corner. She stopped short causing Ron to bump into her. What remained of her car was sitting on blocks. The note on the windshield read:

Ron walked over to the car and opened the hood. Empty. Turning to Kim he remarked, "at least the birds didn't come back."

"So not the time, so not in the mood," she snapped back, then keying the kimmunicator she said, "Wade, we need a ride."

KPKPKPKPKPKPKP

After his encounter with the monkey ninjas, Bates followed the freshly cut trail to a clearing near the temple of the Mystical Monkey Monk where his porter was setting up camp. Bates pitched in to hurry things along, then took his afternoon tea. While the porter began supper, the sun began to dip below the tree line. Bates picked up his camera and a notebook, told the porter he wished to check a few details in the temple, and then set out to meet the Mystical Monkey Monk. Although he had not accompanied His Lordship to this particular site, he did have Fiske's field journal. Underscored several times was the comment "always ask monk to confirm prophecies."

Bates, Montgomery, and several other ninjas entered the temple. Reaching the oracle's chamber, Bates carefully placed the golden banana in the golden stand. Immediately the smiling monk appeared. "Welcome, desciple. You seek to break a curse of Yono the Destroyer, a formidable task. Have you the means?"

"I have these and the ancient texts." Bates held up the charms, and the monk nodded his head.

"The curse shall be broken on the darkest of nights by the charms' magic and the power of one who dances as a monkey."

Bates repeated the prophecy. The monk smiled and nodded. "Can't you be more specific," Bates asked.

"Prophecies are limited to 25 words or less. Some restrictions may apply. Your results may vary," replied the monk before he vanished.

Bates returned to the camp while the monkey ninjas melted into the jungle. After eating and making a show of writing in his journal, he and the porter retired for the evening. Shortly after midnight, Bates awoke, gathered what few items he needed for the next part of the plan, and slipped into the night. He left a note for his porter, telling him to break camp and return to Lord Fiske's agent in Bangkok where he would receive the balance of his payment.

A short distance from the camp, Bates joined the monkey ninjas and they set out for a nearby airfield where Fiske's banana plane sat ready for take off. Once airborne, Bates began reading through His Lordship's notes trying to interpret the prophecy. Having little luck, he took the DVD created from the miniature cameras Fiske had sewn into the uniforms of several monkey ninjas. Although the pictures were not too clear because of the movement of the ninjas during the battle, Bates was able to identify the actions that defeated his employer. Reading the prophecy again he looked more closely at one particular scene on the DVD. The scene tickled his memory and he reached for His Lordship's journal. In the notes of a previous encounter he found what he was looking for. Activating the plane's satellite transceiver he opened his notebook and logged on to Evilweb, the super villain search engine.

KPKPKPKP

It was mid morning when a solitary tourist approached the temple of the Mystical Monkey Monk. At first glance, the Japanese man weighed down with camera equipment appeared lost. A casual observer would conclude he had wandered off from one of the many tour groups visiting Cambodia's ancient ruins. Despite his appearance, he moved deliberately, following the path cut the day before by Bates and his porter. As he approached the temple he could see Bates' porter packing the last of the camp in preparation for his trek back to the road.

After appearing to struggle with his phrase book for a few minutes, the Japanese tourist and the porter finally found common ground. Both spoke English. The porter was more than eager to rant about the strange behavior of the employer who disappeared in the night leaving him in the jungle to break camp by himself.

The Japanese tourist wandered around the temple site, apparently taking random pictures of the ancient site. Checking to be certain he was unobserved, he slipped inside the structure. Once out of the porter's sight he moved swiftly down one of the corridors until he reached the end. Several stone monkey heads adorned the wall. He touched them in sequence causing the wall to his left to slide back exposing the stairway to the monk's chamber. He quickly entered, closing the entrance behind him.

The floor of the chamber told the story. Very recently a single human and several simians had gathered before the altar. The human footprints ended before the golden stand. Patterns in the dust revealed that something had been placed in the golden stand. The man he sought had come here to consult the monk. He must do so as well.

Without the golden banana, he had to rely on ancient rites to summon the monk. He pulled a small scroll from a hidden pocket and read quickly through it, refreshing his memory. Then he seated himself before the altar and began the ancient chant. Upon completion of the chant, the smiling monk appeared. "Welcome, disciple. You seek the one who would break the curse of Yono the Destroyer."

"Hai, Shuudoushi."

"The ancient power he posses and that untapped which he seeks together shall restore one now cursed to darkness to the realm of the light."

'Must be a clue in there somewhere,' the supplicant thought as he wrote down the prophecy. He bowed and thanked the monk, then headed back out of the temple. With the porter still there he made a show of taking pictures until came across the trail left by Bates and the monkey legion heading to the east from the temple. Taking a cel phone from his pocket, he relayed the monk's words to his contact in Siem Riep along with the direction taken by their quarry. After making certain the porter had not seen him, he slipped into the jungle following Bates' trail.

KPKPKPKPKP

Back in Middleton things were not going well. From the time her father picked them up until they arrived at the Possible home, Kim said nothing other than "I'm fine" when Ron tried to talk to her. He wished she would let go. She had to be angry about the evening's events. Instead she just sat there, silent and sullen.

Yori was back from Wade's when they reached home. Kim made it clear she had no desire to deal with the car that night. As they waited for the tow service to bring the remains home, Ron talked with her brothers about repairing the car. Kim was in the midst of a pity fiesta. She and Yori were seated at the kitchen table, a half-gallon of rocky road open between them. Between bites, Kim let out her frustrations. "I can't believe Motor Ed stripped my car. Everything has been going so wrong. It was so quiet for the first few months after the diablo sitch, but now it just seems it's all falling apart. I am so ready to just drop the whole mission thing right now before something else happens."

"A great warrior need not win every skirmish," Yori replied.

"She has to survive. Oh let me see what's happened. If it weren't for Shego's ego a space alien would have vaporized me. I have been nearly boiled in lava, had my mind wiped, crash landed in the middle of a snow storm, and been out of action for nearly two months with this stupid leg. Not to mention being turned to stone and saved by a baby. Would make for great television, but sucks as a life. Then when I try to get back into the game I can't even handle Motor Ed. That has to be some kind of a sign."

"Perhaps. But I am certain others would disagree." The ninja glanced up at Ron who had been standing in the doorway listening.

"Enough with the quitter talk, KP," Ron interjected. "It's been just as dangerous all along. Remember the tick? The embarrassment ninjas? Drakken's steel box in the bottomless pit? Senior's octopus? Zoropox handcuffing you to the bed?" Both girls looked at him with strange expressions and he blushed. "Never mind, forget I said that. Point is it's always been risky. You're just down 'cause Ed played you. We'll get him."

"Yeah Ron, we'll get him," Kim responded in a flat voice as the Kimmunicator on her wrist beeped.

Kim looked at the device and shook her head. Ron reached over and took her arm so he could answer the call. "What up, Wade?" he asked.

"Monkey Fist's credit card was used to buy airplane fuel in Cambodia. Followed it up and it appears his plane is on the way to Japan. I'm tracking it right now. I'll set up a ride."

"The Yamanouchi jet is still here," Yori replied. "But we still need a ride to the airport."

"Out front in 10," Wade replied.

"You two go ahead," a despondent Kim said taking another bite of ice cream. "Somebody has to stay behind and guard the Rocky Road." Ron and Yori looked at each other, shaking their heads.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: A Naco Night Twofer coupon to those who can identify the literary reference in this chapter.