Chapter 1

Kim smiled to herself as she and Ron carefully navigated the corridors of Professor Dementor's lair. Apparently he'd invented an alternative heating and cooling system that made HVAC ventilation shafts unnecessary, depriving Team Possible of a popular means of sneaking in. That had been okay with Kim. She was stealthy enough to avoid detection in plain sight, too.

Ron, on the other hand . . .

"Uh, excuse me, KP."

"Aw, Ron, did you have to eat that last naco before we took off? Jeez!" Kim complained, waving a hand in front of her nose.

"Sorry. Do we have smelling salts? I think Rufus just passed out."

"Just give him some air. We've got to get moving before a roaming patrol clues into that odor," Kim muttered.

Although she was a trifle worried by the fact that they hadn't needed to avoid any such patrols. Her best guess was that they were in the middle of a shift change. That was also the best-case scenario. There was also the possibility that they were walking into a trap. That was significantly less than best-case scenario.

"Hey, we're doing great tonight, KP. No traps encountered or anything!"

Kim sighed. Steady boyfriend, love of her life, great partner - but he'd always be a little more dense than she'd like.

"Let's be extra careful anyway, okay, Ron? Wade's schematics show the OMG should be just up ahead."

"He built something called an Oh My God?"

"Oscillating Metamorphing Gun. It's supposed to . . . Oh my God."

"So is it or isn't it?" Ron complained before he stopped and saw what Kim had spotted.

The oversized control room was in shambles. Men in Dementor henchmen uniforms were sprawled everywhere. Dementor himself hung suspended from the barrel of what Kim assumed was the OMG, a rope around his ankles. A control panel at the base of the OMG had been torn open, and cut wires jutted out, sparking and crackling. Whatever the party was, Kim had evidently missed it.

"I don't suppose you did all that, and I'm just now waking from a head wound," Ron suggested.

Kim pulled out her Kimmunicator. "Wade, get a look at this," she said into the device, turning it around and showing Wade the wrecked machines and unconscious mercenaries.

"Wow, nice. And in record time too, Kim."

"It wasn't us, Wade. Somebody else beat us to it."

"Sorry, Kimmie. Maybe you'll try harder next time."

Kim gasped. Ron gulped. Both turned around and discovered Shego standing behind them. "Shego!" Kim said, stunned.

"Kimmie!" Shego retorted sarcastically. "Nice pickup on the obvious. What was your first clue, the green or the black?"

"What are YOU doing here?"

"Just admiring my handiwork. Well, that and waiting to see the look on your face." Shego snickered.

"Wait, you defeated Dementor?" Kim asked. "Why?"

Shego smirked. "Because, Pumpkin, you're looking at your new competition. Say hi to Team GO."

"Competition?"

"Team Go?" Ron asked. "You're with your brothers again?"

"Ugh, no! It's Team G.O. The letters stand for 'Gorgeous Operatives'. I'm a firm believer in truth in advertising."

"So let me get this straight," Kim said, beginning to catch on. "You're getting into the heroes-for-hire business, like the old Team Impossible."

"Not exactly, Kimmie. For one thing, like you, I could walk all over Team Impossible with my legs tied together," Shego said. "For another, we work for free, like you. I'm loaded, Princess. I don't need more money."

"We?" Ron asked.

"I think 'Gorgeous Operatives' implies there's more than one of us, yes," Shego said, rolling her eyes. "I hired a sidekick. Where is she, anyway?"

A lithe form clad all in black appeared from where Kim had been certain there was no hiding place. "I have been here all along, Shego-san."

For Ron, Shego's arrival was nowhere near the surprise that hearing this voice was. "Yori?" he asked, disbelieving.

"Fifteen thousand dollars a month," Shego said casually as the ninja took off her mask, revealing Yori's beautiful Japanese features. "Signed a month-to-month contract with Yamanouchi with plenty of options to renew. Best damn ninja money can buy. She tells me you three have a history, although I think I could have figured that one out from the look on Stoppable's face, Kimmie."

"Yori, you're working for the bad guys!" Ron said, horrified.

"On the contrary, Ron-san. We are the good guys. We received word earlier today that this man had built a dangerous weapon which he planned to use quite dishonorably on innocent and unsuspecting people. We came here, we defeated his men, we disabled his weapon, and we left him bound for the authorities when they arrive. Shego-san and I have done nothing criminal since we arrived."

"Well, this is his property. I suppose you could say we're trespassing," Shego added.

"Oh, Shego-san, you and your American-style humor."

Ron gaped. "Hey, I thought I was the one with the American-style sense of humor!"

"Regrettably, Ron-san, having spent time in America with Shego-san, I have concluded that your sense of humor is not, er, 'all that'?"

"Please don't quote Dr. D, Yori," Shego sighed.

"Sorry, Shego-san."

The experience was so intensely surreal that Kim thought if this conversation didn't end soon, her ability to tell reality apart from fantasy would be shot. "What's your game, Shego? It's been months since you and Drakken helped with the Lorwardian invasion, and I haven't seen hide nor hair of either of you since."

"Well, Kimmie, Dr. D is so hellbent on preserving this new 'respect' he thinks the world is giving him now, that he's decided he doesn't want to be a criminal any more. I still want to beat you - "

"You've been waiting long enough, what's another twenty years?"

"Bite me, Kimmie. Anyway, I thought about looking for new employment," Shego admitted, "but let's face it. None of your other enemies are worthy of my time. Thought about going into business for myself, but who would I have to mock? So instead, I came up with this."

"This? This what?"

"Face it, Kimmie. I saved the day today, not you. How does that feel?"

"Please, no big," Kim said. It didn't stick in her craw at all.

"So you won't mind if I take all your business away from you then?"

"Excuse me?"

Shego grinned. "You're gonna be old news, Kimmie, yesterday's headline, a flash in the pan. The Lorwardians were your high-water mark. The word's going to get out. With my financial resources, my connections and contacts in the criminal world, my new sidekick, and with the website and gadgets Dr. D is going to develop for me, I'll be the one everybody goes to when their asses are in a sling. And you'll be back to using your website to solicit babysitting jobs. I guarantee it, Cupcake. A year from now I'll be a better, more successful world-saver than you ever were." She laughed. "And there's nothing you'll be able to do to stop me, because I'll be the good guy now."

Kim folded her arms and yawned. "You're delusional, Shego. One time you finish a mission before me, and it goes right to your head."

"Oh, really? Care to make a little wager?"

"Uh, KP - " Ron began to say.

"Bring it!"

"Six months from now, we'll see who the bigger, better heroes are, Team Possible or Team GO," Shego said. "If it's me, you disband your pitiful little operation and sign a lifetime contract to work for ME, Kim. You'll be a part of my team, you'll wear the team uniform, and you'll take orders from me. But if Team Possible is still top dog, then I'll work for you. I'll even follow your directions like I never did for Drakken." She held out a hand. "Deal?"

"Kim, there's something I don't like about this," Wade spoke up from the Kimmunicator.

She ignored him. "Nothing against you, Yori, I'm sure you're a good sidekick, but we've been doing this for years, Shego. You really think that Drakken can hit the ground running and be better than Wade in six months? Or that you can be better than me? As if!"

Shego chuckled. "Kimmie, when I'm your boss, my first order is going to be to order you to never use those sayings like 'as if' or 'spankin' or 'so not the drama' ever again. You're in college now, remember? You should try sounding like it."

That last barb pushed Kim over the edge. Any voice of caution was drowned out. This was a no-brainer. There was simply no way Shego could pull this off. And then she'd be the one taking orders from Kim! "And MY first order will be for you to burn every green article of clothing in your wardrobe!"

"So we have a wager then," Shego said calmly.

Kim grabbed her hand and shook it. "You're on."


(six months later)

"Sign here . . . and here . . . and here . . . don't forget there. Okay, this copy is for you, and this copy will be mine. Here's your new mission clothes. I ordered a few extra, you'll need them. Oh, and Kimmie?"

Kim clutched the bundle of clothes and the paperwork to her chest, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment and anger. "Yeah?"

Shego smiled broadly and pointed to a list of phrases on her desk. "Any time I hear any of those words come out of your mouth, I'm docking your pay."

"Fine," Kim muttered.

"Fine what?"

"Fine . . . boss." How had this HAPPENED?

TBC

A/N - OMG, how DID this happen? It can't be! There's a (somewhat) plausible explanation for everything, folks. Stick around and find out :)