Chapter 3: The Day of Revolution

Rorschach’s Journal

July 4th 2005

Fourth of July, Independence Day, the Day of Revolution. The Traitor chose this day to make his move for a reason. He and his lackeys plan to attack innocent kids trying to do the right thing.

He’s slipping.

He’s afraid.

He’s been afraid for a long time.

Today is the Day of Revolution.

Let the fireworks begin.

--- : - )---

Elizabeth Gemini, better known as Betty Director, sighed as she waded through the paperwork in her office in the Global Justice stronghold below Middleton. She stiffened when a smaller phone behind her desk began to ring. He seldom called for her these days, and she knew exactly the reason for this call. She’d been waiting for it since Kim Possible’s birthday passed.

“Doctor Director speaking…” Betty answered the small, red phone. “Yes, sir, I’m on my way…” she said as a hidden transport tube opened behind her desk. She stood up, adjusted her uniform, and stepped into the tube. She had ample time to consider and gather her thoughts as she traveled, for even being a high-speed transport tube, the trip took over an hour.

She stepped out of the transport tube and into the overly sterile smell. The metallic walls would cause even those who weren’t claustrophobic to feel enclosed. Her boots clanged loudly as she walked across the metal walkway into the central office area where wall-to-wall televisions showed various news and security videos. “You called, Mr. Veidt?”

“She’s turned eighteen… We’ve let her game go on long enough, or rather, you have…” the man growled from his seat facing away from the woman, his hand stroking the tiger-sized genetically manipulated lynx at his side.

“She has helped keep control, sir,” Betty spoke up in her own defense.

“Has she?” Adrian swung his chair around to stare at her angrily. “HAS SHE? If anything, she has encouraged the villains. We cannot go back. It’ll go back, watch it. It will. First, the villains pushing the limit… like Cain and Abel… then the killing starts… then the wars… and it will all be for nothing.”

“So, what do you suggest we do, Sir?” Betty asked her arms folded behind her, standing tall like the good soldier she was.

“She must be stopped. We must regain the level of control we’ve let slip…” Adrian ran his hand through his long, shaggy, graying hair. “We can do that by eliminating the true threat.”

“The true threat?” Betty blinked in surprise.

Adrian pressed a button on his chair, and all the monitors played satellite footage zoomed in on the fight between Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Dr. Drakken, and Shego against the Lowardian invaders. Betty watched as the male alien lifted the battered Kim into the air before a flash of blue filled the screen. What followed caused her jaw to drop. She would never have expected Ron Stoppable to possess that incredible level of skill and power.

“I’ve never seen anything like that…” Betty breathed.

“Nor have I… He could potentially reach Dr. Manhattan’s power. He could be a threat to all we’ve sacrificed to accomplish. He must be removed from our equation or control could be lost.” Adrian took a deep breath. “We cannot risk it. He must be neutralized.”

“But, sir…” Betty spoke up in surprise.

“It will remove both threats. Stoppable will be dead, and Possible’s spirit with him,” Adrian smiled, stroking the lynx’s head.

“We’ll attempt it, sir, but if… they’re both good kids, Sir; they obey the law… if we convince them to quit…” Betty spoke softly.

“They will have to be strictly monitored…” Adrian narrowed his eyes. “We’ve saved the world, Elizabeth… we must keep it saved…”

“And if the Aliens come back, shouldn’t we be making some defensive plans?” Betty asked.

“I have tracked the path of the aliens, and I detect no other life or ships coming from that direction; they were the only threat. So, as thanks, make Stoppable’s death quick and painless if you can.” Adrian rubbed his face. “Worse comes to worse, we will examine in autopsy from whence Stoppable gained those abilities, and perhaps find a way to mass produce them in more controllable personnel. There must be some genetic alteration to explain the abilities, like Jon’s mutation.

“Assign your best agents. I will arrange one of her enemies to escape prison today. Contact her and send her after him; he will be bait for the trap.” Adrian stated, taking a shuddering breath before his hand started to tremble. “We’re finished,” He said, fishing out a handful of prescription bottles from a compartment in his chair.

“Remember…” Adrian said after swallowing that handful of anti-depressants and anti-psychotics. “No matter what happens, keep them monitored…” he said, waiting for her to nod and exit. “Just like I’m apparently going to have to do for you… won’t we, Alexandra?” he asked his Lynx.

--- : - ) ---

“Ron’s late…” Anne Possible noted as she stood over the stove, cooking breakfast with Kim observing at her side. “He’s usually here before the grease starts to sizzle…” She then glanced at Kim. “You have to make sure you only put enough grease in to help the bacon fry and keep it from sticking to the pan… the bacon’s greasy enough as it is.”

“Gotcha,” Kim nodded, “And you're right, Mom; he’s usually here by now…” She added in a worried tone.

“You know Ronald, he’ll be here by the time breakfast is on the table,” James Possible said, coming in with a newspaper.

A moment later, the sound of the door slamming echoed through the house. “As I said… RONALD, I TOLD YOU NOT TO SLAM THE DOOR!” James yelled out.

A moment later, Ron came in carrying five bags overflowing with fireworks and bottle rockets. “Sorry, seventy-five percent off at Smarty Mart. It’s the Fourth, Possibles; it can’t be the Fourth without high-grade explosives!”

“FIREWORKS!!” twin voices echoed as Jim and Tim ran to their sister’s boyfriend.

“You bet, guys!” Ron beamed at Jim and Tim. “Only the best of the best of the best! Are you two going to help me shoot these bad boys off tonight?”

“YES!” they answered in unison, jumping up and down.

“OUTSIDE the house, far away from said house,” Anne said as she and Kim turned on the three boys with hands on hips.

Ron, Tim, Jim, and even James gave innocent smiles. Anne shook her head while Kim just walked over to her boyfriend and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll make sure the boys don’t blow up the house.” She said, helping Ron put down his load of fireworks.

Kim and Ron shared a glance when the chime of her Kimmunicator beeped. “Go Wade,” Kim said, lifting her wrist Kimmunicator.

“Sorry to interrupt your breakfast, Kim, but we got a hit on the site from Dr. Director,” Wade stated. “Dementor broke out of prison just a little while ago. She wants you to cut him off at the pass.”

“Ah, no big, got us a ride?” Kim asked, pushing her hair from her face.

“Should be getting there in five, Kim.” Wade replied.

“Spankin’,” Kim said, shutting off the Kimmunicator before turning to her boyfriend. “Time to suit up, Ron, duty calls.”

James and Anne watched Kim run toward her room, while Ron went to the guest room that was practically his. A few minutes later, they came back in mission gear right as a hovercraft landed on the front lawn. “We’ll be back by dinner, Mom!” Kim said, kissing her father’s cheek then her mother’s.

Anne and James fell into silence and ate their breakfast quietly before the phone rang. “I’ve got it,” Anne said, getting up and answering the phone on the wall. “Hello, Possible residence.”

“Hello, Ms. Jupiter. Is Daniel available?” a hoarse, growling voice spoke from the other line.

“W-Who is this?” Anne asked in a mix of shock and worry.

“Your daughter and her boyfriend are in trouble; let me talk to Daniel,” The voice growled emotionlessly.

“James!” Anne said urgently, holding out the phone to him in trembling hands.

“Hello?” James answered, taking the phone.

“Hello, Daniel, I strongly suggest you contact your daughter’s information broker and find out where they were going. Global Justice is going to shut her down, her boyfriend permanently. Keene Act for your daughter. They’re just scared of her boyfriend. If you don’t act now, we’ll be putting one or both of them in the ground like Eddy Blake.”

“Who is this?” James demanded.

“Never compromise, Daniel, even in the face of Armageddon,” The voice growled before hanging up.

“Anne, we have to go, NOW!” He said, grabbing his wife’s wrist and starting toward the door. “Boys, we have an emergency we have to take care of!” he called out to the twins. “Lock up and go to Ron’s parents.”

“Is it…” Anne said in shock as they ran for the car.

“I don’t know, maybe…” James said, slamming the car into reverse and backing onto the street.

“But he’s dead… you saw him die…” Anne shook her head.

“I don’t know…” James bit his lip as they drove full speed toward their mountain getaway.

---: - )---

“Zoon, Zoon, I will have ze ultimate plan…” Dementor fussed over his desk with a large sheet of paper where he was scribbling a new plan.

“Dude, you just broke out; shouldn’t you, ya know, maybe consider not doing what got you busted in the first place?” the small-statured mad scientist turned to see Kim and Ron leaning against the entrance of his large cave-lair.

“KIM POSSIBLE!!” Dementor cried out, “AND… ze sidekick slash 'boyfriend' whose name escapes me …”

“No respect…” Ron’s head dropped, and Kim patted his arm sympathetically.

“Can you not wait until I can hire hench-employees?” Dementor demanded.

“Hench-employees?” Kim quirked an eyebrow.

“Was? Can I not be PC?” Dementor asked with a shrug. “Buh-bye!” He said, dashing past the two teens.

“Don’t you love it when they play hard to get,” Kim winked at Ron before dashing after the villain.

Kim and Ron trailed the half-pint madman till he came to a stop and turned on the duo. “Even if you bring me in, I’ll just escape again! And Again! I vill not stop until ze vorld is mine!”

A loud pop sounded, and Ron, who was behind Kim, saw Dementor silently fall face first to the ground. “Wow, KP, where’d you hit…” Ron said, coming around his girlfriend, but froze when he saw her face splattered with droplets of blood. “Kim?” He asked before seeing a small hole in the back of Dementor's helmet, seeping with blood.

A moment later, the skies were filled with Global Justice hovercrafts and armored agents dropping around them with automatic weapons. “HANDS IN THE AIR!!” One agent screamed as he pointed his weapon from Kim to Ron.

“Hey, we’re the good guys!” Ron said as he and Kim lifted their hands and went back to back.

“You both are under arrest,” the agent said, pointing his rifle at Ron’s head. “Do me a favor, freak. Resist arrest…”

“I know our rights,” Kim snapped at the agents. “What are the charges?”

“You have been charged with multiple counts of illegal vigilante activity under the Keene Act of 1977,” the agent growled, and Kim noticed, to her concern, that most of the guns were trained on Ron.

“Uh, pretend like we don’t know what that is…” Ron blinked.

“He’s resisting arrest!” another Agent called out.

“What? NO! No one’s resisting anything! NO ONE’S RESISTING!” Ron panicked as a couple of agents grabbed his shirt and pulled him away from Kim.

“Ron! No!” Kim called out as he was thrown to the ground and most of the agents turned to fire on him.

Before they could shoot, a yellow, black, and red blur grabbed Ron and leapt back into the air.

“Ron!” Kim called out and saw Ron being held tightly by Silk Spectre, his face nuzzled into her chest.

“I have found the Promised Land…” Ron said with a muffled voice from between Silk Spectre’s latex-clad breasts.

“Are you ok, Ron?” Silk Spectre asked as she let the teen go.

Ron’s eyes grew the size of saucers. “Oh, my God… someone actually knows my name! And it’s the hottest Super Heroine to ever throw a punch or kick!”

Kim narrowed her eyes and cleared her throat. “After my badical girlfriend, natch!” He added quickly.

The Spectre giggled lightly before Nite Owl lifted and slammed two agents together from behind them. “Autograph session after we get out of this alive.” He said, spinning around to kick another agent. “Spectre, get the kids to Archie; I’ll hold them off.”

“I’m not leaving you alone with this many,” Spectre replied, breaking the jaw of an attacking agent.

“You won’t be,” a growling voice spoke up from beside her, and the four turned to see a man in a trenchcoat, leather gloves, dark dress pants, boots, a fedora, and a mask with an unmistakable, constantly changing black-and-white pattern.

“Get these damned amateurs out of here, Jupiter!” Rorschach snapped, pulling out his grapple gun and firing it point blanke through an agent’s chest and on out his back.

“Go!” Nite Owl nodded, “I’ll be right behind you!” He said.

“You better be…” Silk Spectre snapped, grabbing Kim and Ron by the arms, and made a break for it.

As soon as they were a safe distance away, Nite Owl grabbed the man’s trench coat. “Who the hell are you?” the masked hero growled, backhanding an Agent coming up behind him.

“Don’t you recognize my face, Daniel?” Rorschach asked as Nite Owl stared into the ever-changing patterns. “Walter Kovacs was a mortal; he could die, but Rorschach is an idea. He is an immortal symbol. No gun, knife, or god-man can destroy him.”

“I…” Nite Owl shook his head. “Are you Walter?”

“Does it matter?” Rorschach scoffed. “Get out of here before your kid and her buffoon get themselves killed.” He shoved Nite Owl backwards and punched an agent in the chest. “I’ll be in touch,” He said before disappearing into the melee.

He started to go after him but was interrupted as the Archimedes flew overhead and lowered a ladder. Nite Owl climbed into the ship as it roared into the sky past the unsuspecting GJ hovercrafts.

Considering Ron’s reaction to Silk Spectre, he expected to see Ron gushing over his wife. He was pleasantly surprised to see Ron instead seeing to Kim in the back of the ship with Silk Spectre controlling the ship. Despite his worry over them, especially the shocked expression on his daughter’s face, it warmed his heart to see Ron toweling away the blood from her cheeks. “Are you two ok?”

“He’s dead… Dementor… I can’t…” Kim breathed before she was hugged and shushed by Ron.

“There’s nothing you could have done to save him, Kimmie…” Silk Spectre said in a voice both teens instantly recognized.

A moment later, both Nite Owl and Silk Spectre knew the cat was out of the bag. “Mom? Mom?!?” Kim exclaimed staring at Silk Spectre before turning to Nite Owl. “Dad?!”

Nite Owl and Silk Spectre looked at each other then back at the younger heroes. Nite Owl took a deep breath before speaking. “We can explain, Kimmie-cub…”

---: - )---

“What happened?” Adrian growled from his control chair.

“There were… interceptions…” Betty said as she stood before her boss.

“What kind of interceptions?” Adrian narrowed his eyes.

Betty stepped to the side and looked back at the transport tube as Will Du stepped out. “Agent Du took part in the operation and was one of the few to make it back uninjured…”

“Agent Du, what did you see? What happened?” Adrian asked with force patience.

“We had the two vigilantes surrounded; the primary target attempted to resist apprehension. Three other vigilantes arrived on the scene and took them away,” Du explained.

“Can you describe the other vigilantes?” Adrian asked, taking a deep breath.

“Two males, one female,” Du described, “The female was dressed in a yellow-and-black latex outfit with a mask. One male was dressed in an odd suit of armor and goggles, vaguely reminded me of the suit used in Batman movies. The other male was in a simple trench coat, fedora hat, and an unusual mask.”

The reaction was instant. “HE’S DEAD!” Adrian jumped to his feet. “THERE’S NO COMING BACK! HE CAN’T COME BACK!! YOU SAW WRONG!!!” Adrian screamed in Du and Betty’s face.

“Mr. Veidt, calm down, Sir…” Betty said as she and Will helped their boss stand.

“Pills… I need my pills…” Adrian wheezed, reaching for his medication.

Silence filled the room when the walls of monitors went snowy for a moment before coming back on, each monitor revealing a Rorschach inkblot picture or the words “The End is Nigh.” Adrian screamed in terror before pointing toward the exit. “GET OUT! SEAL THE TUBE, GET OUT! GET OUT!!!”

“Sir…” Will started, but Betty just pulled him by the arm to the transport tube.

“Am I missing something, Ma’am?” Agent Du asked as he left with the Director.

Rorschach’s Journal

July 4th, 2005 – continued

Ozymandias fired the first shot. Now, I’ve retaliated.

I do not know how Daniel and Laurie, or their child and her partner, will react to their attack.

But I am going to fight back. Even if I am the only soldier fighting in this war, I will fight back.

History is like a three-step waltz … constantly going from War to Peace to Revolution.

The Revolution is here.

To be continued…