Prologue - A Silver Flash in Time He sat in his lair, papers strewn all over the desk on which he was working. It was late, but this was important. His plans at this point were still in the early stages, too early to even share with his sidekick, although she’d probably just jeer him anyway. But this time, this time he was going to take over the world! And defeat that annoying Kim Possible to boot. It was his frantic preoccupation that must have masked the woman’s entrance. At least, that is was the mad scientist told himself later. At the time, out of nowhere, he heard an equally sinister and sexy voice say, “Dr. Drakken. Hard at work, I see. Might I have a moment of your time?” Startled by the voice, Dr. Drakken looked up to try to find its source. “Who's there? If this is some kind of joke, Shego-“ “Oh this is no joke,” the voice answered as someone began to walk toward his desk. “And don’t get up. Don’t think of me as company but as a friend.” After that strange statement, the source of the voice walked into the light. Her brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun. A lithe frame was clothed in a futurist looking silver dress, complete with slits to show off long legs and metallic boots. Honestly, it looked like an outfit his sidekick, Shego, would wear if it came in green and black. All in all, she was totally unfamiliar. “And why would I think of you as a friend?” “Because I’m able to help you with your little plan.” “You know about the plan?” Drakken said quietly. “Yes, I do, and I figured it out, too. But don’t worry. I don’t think Shego or Ms. Possible will figure it out. And it will work-“ This assessment caused Drakken to smile, until the strange woman continued, “if it weren’t for that one little flaw.” “Flaw! What flaw?! I am an evil genius! And this plan is perfect!” “Expect for Erik.” "Erik?" Drakken ventured cautiously. The women laughed, “Oh, I guess you haven’t named that synthodrone, yet.” The woman pushed some papers off of Drakken’s desk and sat down. “Hey! I needed those!” Drakken objected as he ran around the edge of the desk to pick up what the woman pushed off. “Wait just a minute, Drew. You might want to hear me out,” the woman advised as she stopped the blue villain in mid- bend with the toe of her boot. “I am able to help you.” The use of his real name stopped the supervillian for a moment, but curiousity finally overruled his suspicion. “Fine,” Drakken said as he stood up. “Explain this flaw.” “The syntho that you plan to use to help to destroy Ms. Possible. It won’t work.” “And just why,” Drakken leaned into his strange visitor, “won’t it work?” “Because he is a syntho. One wrong prick and he’s syntho goo and you have an angry Ms. Possible on your trail.” The woman smiled. “Hmm…you have a point. What do you suggest?” “What do I suggest?” the woman said as she pulled something out of the silver purse that Drakken just noticed swinging from her shoulder. “I suggest using a human. Not a robot, not a drone, but a human. One that is the right age, the right ‘hotness’ level, and one prone to protect others. In a word, perfect. And I can let you use him for you little plan.” “Now wait just a minute –“ Dr. Drakken began. He didn’t get a chance to finish his statement. “I’m not saying that Erik won’t be useful. He could be a nice spy to have in place, but trust me, you need my help.” “Your help?” the super-villain said as he was handed a picture. Looking down, the blue man saw a picture of a tall teen with black hair and compelling eyes. The black pants and brown jacket finished the look. The teen definitely looked like he could take on the world, which could be a problem. “Can you guarantee that your ‘help’ won’t get in my way?” “Of course he won’t. Just give him a few chances to save your Ms. Possible and he’ll be so busy causing havoc in Team Possible that he won’t have time to cause you problems. And, with the destruction of Team Possible, I’m serving you Ms. Possible on a platter.” “Wait, how will splitting Kim Possible from her buffoon actually help me?” The woman stared at him incredulously. “Did you pay any attention during that whole incident with the time monkey?” She shook her head. “Just ask Shego, when you have the opportunity.” “What are you babbling about? What time monkey incident?” The woman smiled serenely. As she raised her mouth to cover a laugh, the light shone off of a chunky silver bracelet. “Oh, that's right...you probably don't remember that little foray into another possibility. But that is beside the point. So, Drew,” the woman reached out and brought Dr, Drakken to eye level. “Do we have a deal? I lend you my ‘help’ and you take it?” “What’s in this for you?” Dr Drakken asked the younger woman. Although female, this person clearly demonstrated a streak of evil and the accompanying ego that suggested a fellow super-villain. And super-villains didn’t help out unless there was a catch. “Oh, nothing at all, really,” the young woman said as she leaned into the older villain. Playing with his hair, she confessed, “You are actually helping me out. Nothing is more important to me than to let Terry help you with this little project.” “And you won’t want to share the world with me after I conquer it?” The silver clad visitor actually laughed at that suggestion. “Oh, absolutely not! I don't need a thing. Helping you solves all of my problems,” the woman insisted. Not believing his good fortune, and, not being able to think clearly while the visitor was stroking his face, the super-villain quickly agreed to the deal. “Good. My help’s name is Terry McGinnis. He won’t introduce himself to you, but he’ll pop up around Ms. Possible’s school. Target Kim in a few minor fights and let my help save her. That will end your Team Possible problem very quickly.” The woman slowly released Drakken. Rising from the desk, she began to walk back into the shadows. After a few steps, she turned, “Oh, and one more thing. Obtaining one of your objectives can be a little expensive. Here,” the woman pulled out a thousand dollars in cash and set it on the table, “the first few shares in that little fast food chain are on me.” After this parting gift the woman laughed and walked away, seeming to disappear into the shadows after tapping her bracelet. “That wasn’t a part of my plan,” Dr Drakken said as he returned to his chair. At first the villain wondered if he imagined everything, but the money in the middle of his desk proved that it was real. Sure, it meant scaling back the teen culture research, but he’d take the mysterious woman’s help. And he wouldn’t breathe of word of this to Shego; she’d never let him live it down. **** In another time and another place, a young super hero had just wrapped up a normal break-in. Although the night had been normal, the young man was worried about something else. And, when in doubt, one asked the old man. One didn’t expect an answer, of course, but one asked. “Wayne, you there?” “Trouble with the Jokerz?” “No. This was a small time gang. Nothing I couldn’t handle in my sleep.” “So-“ “It’s the new freak of the week, Laude Tempus,” the new Batman explained to the old one. “Something is just off about Laude. I think she’s dangerous.” “The run-ins you had with her were over small time crimes. A few stolen items. Any of this have to do with Laude herself? In some ways, she’s a lot like Melanie.” The young man in the Batsuit practically growled at that. “Low blow, Wayne. This is not a case of infatuation with the villain, and, between Selina and Talia, I don’t think you have room to talk.” His boss and mentor began to respond, but the hero cut him off. “Hold on. I heard something.” A familiar, sexy and sinister laugh drifted across the roof to where Batman sat. “And here I thought I was being quiet. You do have hearing like a bat, don’t you, Batman?” “Laude Tempus,” Batman said as he turned to confront his companion on the roof. “What do you want?” he said as he readied a Batarang. “Oh, put away your toys. I just came to offer you a friendly warning,” the woman said as she slinked up to him in her silver dress. “I mean, I could just crush you, but where would be the sport in that?” Laude laughed. “Warn me? About what?” the hero asked in a guarded tone. Sliding up to him, Laude turned the black suited face toward hers. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be working on breaking up the team that could do anything. I haven’t decided how yet, although murder is always an option.” The woman displayed her seductive sick smile on the pointed eared teen in front of her. “You are welcome to stop me. It’s probably in your best interest to. But, before you do, you may want to explore your favorite subject of history, Terry.” As the Bat stiffened, the woman laughed and wound an arm around the neck the young man. Placing a finger over where the mask covered mouth, the woman explained. “Oh, yes. I know who you are under the mask. That’s why I said I could crush you. And, because I’m so nice, I’ll give you a hint as to how. Ever see the show Sliders on the classic webcasts?” Laude asked. When her masked companion didn't answer, Laude laughed. "I'll take that for a no. I will say this, however. The wonderful thing about about science fiction is that there is science in it. And it's amazing what bored graduate students can accomplish in a well funded lab. Gotta love Gothan U." After that parting comment, the woman let the hero go. Walking a few steps away, she tapped on her bracelet and a black portal opened. Blowing the hero a kiss, she stepped through it and the portal disappeared. A second later, Terry was freed from his temporary paralysis. “Wayne, did you get all of that? What was that portal? And what was that last part about?” There was a pause at the other end of the comm-link. Then, "Gotham University. It's interesting she mentioned that. Get back to the Cave, Terry. We should talk." In the silence after Wayne cut the link, the young Bat shook his head. "You would think I would stop expecting a straight answer to my questions." - to be continued -