Hidden Power: Hidden Shadow Chapter 1, a kim possible fanfic

Chapter 1

Pain.

That was the first thing I felt when I woke up. Not soul-searing, bone-breaking pain, the kind that makes you scream till your horse. No this was the more subtle pain of multiple injuries that are still on the mend, while your body is running on less sleep than should be possible. I take a few moments to perform some simple meditation in order to block out some of the pain. After that's done I get up and go over to the mirror.

The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon as I unravel the bandages wrapped around my chest. The fresh cuts are healing up well but I know that soon enough they're going to turn into another set of white line scars like they always do. No matter what the wound it always heals faster than it should and it always leaves a scar; from the smallest paper cut to the largest laceration. The reason I heal faster than normal is also the reason why scars litter my body.

My name is Ron Stoppable.

And I am a Mystic.

I guess I should take a step back and explain some things first of all, huh? Well first things first, when I say Mystic I mean that I am someone who wields supernatural or otherworldly power. The terms Shaman, Wizard and the like essentially mean the same thing. The only real difference that I can see between them is how we go about using our powers. I've had some in the trade say that I'm a shaman because I've got a connection or link to a couple of locations out there. Others say that I'm a wizard because I have a familiar, even if he is a naked mole rat rather than the traditional cat or owl. I think of myself as a Mystic simply because it is the most basic description of what I do. Generally the magic that I do is taken from all the threads out there. I'm what you could call a jack-of-all-trades, master of none with an emphasis on that last part. I know that even if I didn't have self-confidence issues still wouldn't be stupid enough to put myself in the big leagues, especially when the only thing I'm any good at is enduring, taking punishment from the enemy till it's the right time to hit back.

No one close to me, except Rufus, knows I have these abilities. I've picked up a couple of tips from other practitioners along the way but I was never willing to break all my ties in order to devote myself to a true apprenticeship. If I were to simply disappear then who would help KP in her missions? I still have a role to play in the regular world and so long as she needs me I will be there to help her out.

Speaking of KP I better get a move on with my morning ritual if I'm gonna be on time to give her a lift to school. Looking at myself in the mirror I run a sliver of power down to the ward I have imprinted on my chest. As I do so the ward flares up, now visible to the unaided eye. A continuous line of text that curves in a circle spinning inwards it helps suppress my magic and makes it more difficult for those sensitive to these things to find me. The last thing I need is a supernatural predator trying to make a meal out of me in the middle of English class. This done I flare up the rest of the markings to make sure that everything is still working.

Throwing around pure power is dangerous in the same way that standing beside a nuclear reactor during a meltdown is a bad idea. It will kill you, the person or thing your fighting, your allies, plus anyone and anything in the vicinity. It's for this reason that everyone in the magic community (who have survived the first major spell they've thrown) uses foci. A foci is an object that has been designed and then strengthened to withstand magical energy and allow us to manipulate more energy than we could do safely otherwise. Generally foci come in the forms of wands, staffs, blades, gloves or some other external form.

I've never been a fan of this method simply because it's too easy to loose objects in the middle of a fight. Instead I had my foci imprinted onto my own skin. This means that I can never loose them and I can hide them from the unaided eye, allowing me to go fully armed and armored all the time.

Going from the bottom up I've got foci on my feet for surefootedness and grip, foci on my legs for speed and agility, foci on my chest for protection and healing, foci on my upper arms for strength, and foci on my face to enhance the senses. The foci on my forearms are different though. While my other foci are internal, the four foci on my forearms, two on each arm, are used for external use. They are used for creating and manipulating the elements. My right arm, dominant in combat, is used for fire and wind, while my left arm is used for water and earth.

As near as I can tell I'm the only one out there who does this, most likely because all the other practitioners think I'm bat-shit crazy but that's just me being different. Their arguments stem from the fact that in time foci breakdown from the power flowing through them and that when it happens to me it's going to kill me. They're probably right but I figure something I go up against is gonna put me in the ground long before then.

With the conformation that my wards and foci are all in working order I start getting dressed. Slipping on my baggy trousers and red over-sized jersey, to cover up my whipcord-muscle build and impressive collection of scars, I strap a single-edged knife to my back, under the jersey. This is my athame, my sanctified blade used in my ritual magic. The wards I've placed on it mean that metal detectors and human eyes wont notice it while its sheathed on my back.

Preparations all finished I head downstairs before I head over to KP's house. My folks are out again, of in Europe at some conference, so it's just Rufus and me till they get back. Hoping on my scooter I roll down the driveway and on to the road, mentally preparing myself for my greatest challenge of the day, keeping my abilities hidden from my best friend while surviving the high school food chain.

A/N: There we go, first chapter of my first fanfic up so let me know what you think. Also please keep going with this story, I know that the first chapter is rather bland but it will get better, trust me. On a secondary note I'm looking for a name for the main enemy to this story. If you guess which book series I'm taking inspiration from then you can name the enemy, put your guess and enemy name in a review, please and thank you. Also if you've gotten to this point I sincerely thank you for reading A) my story and B) my rather long author note.