A/N

I started on this chapter before the third season of Kim Possible. Therefore, please disregard the third season. Evil Josh is homage to ClassicCowboy and his awesome works, most of which involve Kim's love interest turning evil. Get to work on MG: Red Fox, darn it!

Also, from here on out, there's going to be a lot of language. Nothing really bad, like the s or f words, and it's not gratuitous. However, if it isn't already,this fic's rating goes up to PG-13.

A/N

Finals, Pt. 2: "Mirrors"

Kim Possible burst into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. Splashing the cold water from the sink's faucet onto her face, Kim attempted to wash away the tears which cascaded down her face. Staring at herself in the mirror, she let the soothing water flow down her skin and drip off back into the sink. It felt good, a relief from the heat of the impromptu dance floor currently taking up the adjoining rooms.

Her eyes were had a very slight shade of pink in the corners and revealed the tiniest hints of puffiness. But it was nothing compared to the emotional roller-coaster that poured through her body. This week was, without a doubt, the worst week of her life. And it was only Tuesday. Tuesday of her graduation week, a week of celebration for the accomplishments of the past four years and the promise of the rest of their lives. On Saturday, she would be done high school and headed off to college. But right now, things were looking pretty bleak.

It had all begun on Sunday, when Drakken had kidnapped her dad and declared to the world that he was going to blow it up. The world, that was. His terms for salvation from Armageddon were simple; one hundred billion dollars… and Kim Possible, gift-wrapped and placed on his front door, for what end purpose no one knew. But most could guess that if she went and faced Drakken, alone, she would never return.

Global Justice had been appointed the new arbiters of the fight against Drakken, and were doing everything they could to ensure that Kim wouldn't have to go. But, there were already hard-liners on the television saying that they should give in. Wasn't she sworn to fight the forces of evil? Wouldn't sacrificing oneself to save the world be the ultimate vindication of a life, however short, spent in the pursuit of good? Kim understood their reasoning, but it was a lot harder for her to accept since one of the conditions of being a martyr was that you have to die. She had so much to live for.

I haven't even graduated high school, dammit! Tears boiled up again, hot and burning in their formation.

Then there was Monday. Two men she didn't even know lost their lives trying to stop a bomb Drakken had placed just to prove his claim. She had seen their pictures on the news, watched as the vultures in the media descended upon their families, asking the most inappropriate questions like how are you taking this and what will you do now?

How the hell were they supposed to know what to do? One of the two men had a wife and kids. Of course she felt horrible! In seconds her husband, a man who had nothing to do with the world crisis, who was only doing his job, was gone, leaving her a widow and single mother. She had only gotten the notice a few minutes before the media started to pick her apart.

Now, Kim hadn't thought fully about the implications of this moment until today, Tuesday. After spending the day out shopping, she came home for dinner, then afterwards she was going to meet up with Monique again and head to the first graduation party.

Tonight was the first of what was supposed to be two weeks of graduation parties. And, of course, Bonnie Rockweiler, in an effort to prove just how much cooler she was then anyone else, stuck hers on the night of the last day of school and dared anyone to miss it (because she had poured a gi-normous amount of money into it for a high school senior, and it was rumored she had paid off some of her sister's friends to provide a little ahem liquid entertainment.) She had even boasted that she would show up to graduation with a hang-over. At first, most students were apprehensive, but with the threat of world annihilation hanging over their heads, most of the dissenters realized that this would probably be the last party ever, and did what any de-sensitized and over-sexed generation of teens would do: party.

But, first, she had planned a sit-down dinner with her mother and the tweebs. The food was great, as usual, but Kim felt a bit uneasy as her mother kept giving her long glances throughout the meal.

Afterwards, the tweebs had gone to watch TV while Kim did the dishes. Dr. Mrs. Possible had gone to the bathroom.

As Kim worked on the dishes, she heard her mother come back into the kitchen.

"Kim?" her mother spoke up right behind her.

"Yeah, mom?" Kim turned around to face her mother.

She looked up into her mother's eyes and saw that they were red and puffy. Mrs. Possible moved close to Kim and gave her a deep hug, which Kim returned.

"I just wanted to let you know, Kim, that no matter what happens, I love you, and…" She couldn't finish the sentence. She took a few deep breathes and choked back tears. "I see people die every day, and even if I did everything to save them, I always find myself wishing, wishing that I could have done something more. And even though it hurts me to see you go, I know this is your moment. You can't let him kill. You just can't. Not one person. Promise me, Kim?"

Kim looked away for a second, and then returned her gaze to her mother. "I promise mom."

"Thank you, Kim." She kissed Kim's forehead. "I know you. I know you'll bring back your father."

They stood in the kitchen, mother and daughter, holding on to one final moment.

---

"Kim, you made it!" Monique, of course, pounced on Kim as soon as she entered the party.

Kim smiled. "You think I would miss the first party of senior weeks? Girl, you tripping!" She used one of Monique's euphemisms against her.

Kim was wearing a pink spaghetti-string shirt with a star on the front, and pink jeans. She had on a little bit of make-up, including some glitter on her face and a tear painted under her left eye. Monique had on her best Club Banana rave clothes.

Monique was lapping it up. "Hey, hey, guys, my main girl's here! Now the party can begin!" Several guys at the nearby keg lifted up their plastic cups and cheered.

"Monique, are you already drunk?"

"Nope. Too early. This party goes until the sun comes up, and I want to be there to see it!"

Kim looked around at her surroundings. She had been to the Rockweiler's before, and she was always amazed at how many people the house was able to fit. It seemed like every senior from the entire Tri-City area was here, as well as Bonnie's sisters' college friends, several of which were extremely cute college guys. The house was enormous, totaling three floors, a basement/rec room with a bowling alley, and a huge outdoor patio complete with pool and NCAA regulation basketball court. Bonnie's parents, her father being a high-profile CEO of a massive company and her mother an attorney for several big name law firms, were often out of town and left Bonnie's older sisters in charge. Somehow (Bonnie had all the luck) her parents had left town on the night of the last day of school, leaving her older sisters in charge. Connie was spending the night at boyfriend's "studying", leaving Lonnie in charge, and Lonnie was a party girl.

Lonnie had invited all of her college friends, a few of whom were over 21 and more than willing to pick up a couple kegs for under-age seniors in high school because, hey, they were once high-schoolers.

Suddenly, Kim noticed that everyone in the house was looking at her. The first to speak was Bonnie. She stumbled up to Kim and pushed her index finger into Kim's collarbone.

"Well, look who it is. Ms. I can do anything!" Kim took a whiff and realized that Bonnie stunk of alcohol. She was also slurring her speech. "Listen up, everybody. I can't believe my life is in the hands of this goody-two shoe! If you fail, we're all gone! Don't you understand that, Kim? I never chose you to protect me!

That same feeling that Kim felt in her stomach with her mother rose again. She felt like an outcast, a pariah, that she was different from everyone else. Then, something happened that she never expected: clapping. Everyone in the house started clapping. Cheers went up. The partiers started shouting, "KIM! KIM! KIM!"

"Kick their butts, Kim!"

"We're rooting for you, Kim!"

"We love you, Kim!"

"SCREW ALL OF YOU!" Bonnie shouted, before dashing off towards the back patio, walking right into a vase as she stumbled through the crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the DJ started up (yup, Bonnie hired a DJ. When you got it, flaunt it.), "we have a hero in the house. Kim Possible!"

The crowd cheered.

"This song goes out to Kim Possible, our hero."

"Too alarming now to talk about
take your pictures down and shake it out
truth or consequence say it aloud
use that evidence race it around

There goes my hero
watch (her) him as (s)he goes
There goes my hero
he's ordinary

Don't the best of them bleed it out
While the rest of them peter out
Kudos my hero leaving all the best
You know my hero the one thats on"

"Hey, Kim, want a beer for the hero?" one of her classmates asked.

Kim never really drank beer, since she had to keep sharp in case of missions. Nevertheless, tomorrow was D-Day.

"One won't hurt, right?"

Kim thought for a second. "Well, why not?"

"Keg's in the garage." the classmate pointed the way.

Kim headed towards the garage through the crowd of people. Since the DJ was spinning on the dance floor, and the pool area was the place to be if you weren't dancing, the garage was almost empty. Kim grabbed a paper cup from the nearby table, which was filled with obligatory hard liquor, and started to pump the keg.

As she filled up the beer, she felt two strong arms wrap around her waist.

"Hey. How you feeling?"

She recognized the voice and smiled as he slowly nibbled at her ear. Josh had a way with his tongue.

"How long have we been going out?"

"Josh…"

"C'mon Kim… this may be our only chance."

Kim turned towards him, but hesitated for a moment. He leaned in for a kiss.

Kim pushed him away and ran back into the dance floor.

"Kim, wait!" Josh reached out to stop her, but she was gone. He sighed and then decided to go look for Bonnie, who had probably gotten even more smashed.

Running out into the crowd, a thousand different thoughts going through her head, Kim without warning ran into a person in the crowd. The blow from the impact knocked her down. Looking up, however, she was relieved to see a most familiar face.

She reached up and grabbed the hand of her best friend, Ron Stoppable, decked out in his best raver clothes. He wore a 'cat in the hat' hat, a black and orange jacket with matching straps and clasps, and black jeans with chains down the legs.

"Hey hey hey Kay Pay!" he shouted over the music as he helped her up.

"Ron. Thank goodness for you." She smiled and gave him a hug.

Ron knew this mood. And he knew exactly how to counter it.

Ron struck a pose. "Wanna bust a move, KP?"

"You bet!"

They chose a place amongst the bumping and grinding teenagers and started to dance. Ron started to bust out his wackiest moves, and Kim laughed at his sheer ineptitude. Relaxing a bit, she listened to the music.

The lights went off and strobe lights flashed on.

You give me that funny feeling in my tummy...

ahw s, yeah, that's right huh
Rollercoaster of Love
say what
Rollercoaster yeah (oohh oohh oohh)
Oh baby you know what I'm talking about
Rollercoaster of Love
oh yeah it's Rollercoaster time
lovin' you is really wild
Oh it's just a love rollercoaster
step right up and get your tickets

Your love is like a Rollercoaster baby,
baby I wanna ride yeah (awawaw)

Move over dad 'cause I'm a double dipple
Upside down on the big dip dipper
1,2,1,2,3 I?ve got a ticket come ride with me
Let me go down on the marry-go-round
All is fair 'n' a big fair ground
Let's go slow. let's go fast
Like a liqourice twist gonna whip your ass.

Rollercoaster
say what

I will be there for you I will be your man.

Ron got his groove on with the goofiest dance moves that he knew would cheer Kim up. Suddenly, the lights came back on, however dimmed. However, now Kim was looking straight down, her hair covering her face.

Ron bent down to see if something was wrong.

"Kim. Kim, are you okay?"

Kim looked up at him and Ron caught a glimpse of Kim's eyes. Her beautiful emerald eyes were glistening with tears.

"Ron, with tomorrow and all, well, tomorrow might be the end and I've never… I've never even…"

Unable to speak anymore, Kim tore off for the bathroom. Ron started to chase when a hand caught his shoulder. He turned to see Monique attached to the arm. She shook her head.

"Ron, I'll take Kim home. Okay?"

Ron nodded.

---

Kim looked at herself in the mirror, examining her image. She still wore the clothes she had on at the party. As she turned and posed in different positions, she realized for the first time that years of marital arts, cheerleading, and fighting villains, had given a sleek, sexy frame that most girls envied.

"Am I not cute?" She often wondered what life would be like if she had just been another girl, and not the teen superhero/cheerleading captain she had grown into. Maybe she would have turned out like Monique? Or like Ron? Or even, dare she think, Bonnie?

How much different would life have been if she hadn't gotten that first e-mail, if Team Impossible had gotten that job and not her and she had spent her childhood baby-sitting, mowing lawns, etc.? Where would she be now?

Though she liked to be tough and kick butt, it gave her a reputation at school for being a tom-boy. And despite her natural assertiveness when in a fight, when around a cute guy she melted to pieces. She hadn't even had a boyfriend throughout high school, except Josh, and then again she had to compete with other members of her squad for his and other guys' affection.

Next year was college, and if this sitch ended like all the others, she would be graduating in a few days and headed off to a new school. What about the team, what about her friends, what about her best friend?

Right now, in front of the mirror, all the weight of the world began to crash down upon Kim. She suddenly felt weak and had to use the mirror to support herself. Tears started to flow down her eyes. She had saved the world before, but this time the world was truly at stake. Every single person on the planet was relying on one eighteen-year-old high school girl to stop the world from ending. The realization that she may not return from this one struck her all the way to the core. She couldn't imagine how hard it would be for her parents to take or how lonely Ron would be.

Ron. Tonight what she had always suspected about herself had come true. She loved him. She always had. And maybe she did…no! We're friends, best friends, nothing more, she told herself. Then why did it hurt so much to think that? He had always been there for her Maybe this was why her father had always worried about her and boys. She realized why he always worried. It wasn't about her fooling around. It was that he worried that her heart might get broken someday.

She remembered her father's face, and remembered why she had continued to fight evil, even when she could have gotten out, even when her mother had wanted her to get out of the business. He had sat her down; in one of the few times he had ever given her completely serious advice, and had told her the words she lived by. "Kim, honey, there are a lot of bad people in the world. But there are a lot more good people in this world than bad. You never hear about them because all anyone talks about is the bad things in life. But, though people focus their attention on the bad people, the good need help as well. I want you to remember; always work to help the good prosper. And, when you think you can't accomplish something, just remember. Nothing is impossible for a Possible."

Despite every hope that this was nothing more than a dream, which she would wake up from tomorrow and find the world wasn't relying on her, she knew she had to go forward. If for nothing else than to save her dad. Putting aside all her other problems till later, she straightened up and wiped her face. She opened the closet door and reached in to grab some clothes to sleep in. She closed the door.

And caught the shape of a figure in the mirror.

She whirled around with a back-hand, but a strong arm caught her at the throat. In a panic, Kim quickly examined her attacker. What she saw shocked her.

The attacker was wearing mission clothes almost identical to Ron's, except he wore lightweight body armor over his black shirt, with pistols, a knife, and several incendiary devices tucked into it. But even more shocking was his identity.

"Jon?"

"I see. This is where you lost it. Now I know how you failed."

"What are you talking about?" She struggled against his arm, but his grip was locked tight.

With his other hand, he held a rag up to her mouth.

"Is that-"

He pressed the rag against her mouth. Chlorophorm! She held her breath to try and stay awake.

"Don't worry. I won't hurt you. I'm actually leaving right after you go unconscious. I just came to stop you."

"Humph!" She couldn't hold her breath any longer. The fumes seeped into her nose and mouth.

"When you wake up, this will all be over, Drakken will be dead, and you can go back to your perfect little life that you don't deserve."

Kim lost consciousness and collapsed to the floor.

---

End Chapter

Songs are "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters, and "Rollercoaster of Love" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers