Kim Possible and Shego circled each other.

"Don't you get tired of the same routine," asked Kim. She carefully
focused on her opponent, trying to get an idea of Shego's next move.

"Well, my contract stipulates that I don't have a hand in the plans.
Blame Drakken," said Shego as she lunged forwards.

"Enough lip, Shego!" hollered Drakken, who shook his fist from a safe
distance. "I'm quite certain this plan will work this time"

Kim ducked and blocked the slashes, and finding an opening, she kicked
straight into Shego, forcing the villain back.

"So where's the sidekick?" asked Shego as she fired some plasma.
"Got tired of cheering you on?"

"He's taking care of the Sonic Annihilator," said Kim as she rolled
under the blasts. She ended up right in front of Shego and punched
straight up. Shego fell back and clutched at her stomach, gasping for
air. She was out for the count.

"So Drakken, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way"
said Kim as she turned her attention towards him. She carefully
walked towards him.

Drakken grumbled, silently lamenting the inability of his lackey to
take care of his sworn enemy. For every step Kim took towards him, he
took a step back, but eventually he ran out of room. He bumped
against the workbench.

"Err, I," he said, his mind quickly running though multiple scenarios,
most of them ending with Kim kicking his ass. His hands rummaged
through the useless knick knacks on the suface behind him.

Kim, realizing the potential danger, ran towards him, her fist cocked
back for a finishing blow. His hand happened upon a taser, and in the
nick of time, he shot her with 100,000 volts of electricity .

She groaned and fell on the ground.

Drakken chortled and looked down at her. "How about none of the
above," he said, self satisfied with his good fortune. The room
rumbled, the faint sounds of gears grinding out interrupting his celebration.

He grimaced. "Kim Possible, seems that your buffoon finished with the
distraction ahead of schedule," he said. "Unfortunately for you, that
means I won't have the satisfaction of an elegant victory." He
grabbed a hold of a wrench from the workbench.

Shego groaned, her stomach aching from Kim's low blow. She managed to
control her urge to vomit and slowly stood up, grabbing the edge of a
table to support herself. The sound of steel on concrete attracted
her attention. Drakken stood over Kim Possible's broken body,
admiring his handiwork.

"Dr. D, what on earth are you doing?" she hollered, fighting back a
new urge to vomit.

He turned towards her, an unsettling grin on his face. "Taking care
of business, permanently," he said. "Never thought working hands on
could be so therapeutic"

He wiped his gloves against his blue jacket, leaving behind a crimson
trail. "Let's go. The buffoon should be here any minute now." He
pushed Shego towards the escape pod. She looked over her shoulder at
Kim, shuddered and then stepped in.

"Think positively, Shego," he said, closing the hatch behind them and
pulling the launch lever. "No one can stop us now." The pod's rocket
motor ignited and propelled them out of the lair and into the sky.

Ron Stoppable heard the rocket motor and pushed himself to run faster.
He kicked the door open and ran into smoke filled room. Scanning the
room, he froze when he saw Kim.

"Kim," he said, kneeling next to her. "Kim?" He gingerly tapped her
shoulder and there was no response. He pawed at her belt, half
blinded by tears. He needed the comunicator. He needed help to save Kim.

He found the communicator and fumbled with it. The screen blinked,
revealing Wade.

"Wade," he said between sobs. "Anyone please, I need help. Kim's
dying. Help," he cried into the communicator.

"Global Justice will be there in ten minutes," said Wade. Ron threw
the communicator aside and hugged Kim.

An eternity seemed to pass before the whole place was crawling with
Global Justice agents.

"Let go, Mr. Stoppable," said an agent, who pulled him away from Kim.
Medics strapped her into a stretcher and loaded into a helicopter which
took off immediately.

"We'll take care of clean up," said the agent. He pushed the
shellshocked Ron out and into a Global Justice van. "The driver will
take you to the hospital immediately"

The van dropped Ron off at the Middleton Medical Center, where
Dr. Possible was waiting for him. He looked at her. Her eyes were
red, but she managed a facade of stability. He looked away ashamed as
she walked toward him and then embraced him.

"Don't worry, Ron," she said. "The worst is over. Kim's alive, but
still unconscious." Her words failed to comfort him. "I'll take you to her
room."

They both went to Kim's hospital room. Dr. Possible fussed over Kim
and looked at the various charts. She looked back at Ron, who
remained at the doorway, ashamed to enter.

"I guess you want to be alone with Kim," she said. She walked out of
the room and pushed Ron in.

Ron took a deep breath and walked towards the bed. Despite the maze
of bandages and wires, Kim seemed to be at peace. He took hold of her
hand.

"Kim, I hope you can hear me," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
"I'm sorry I let you down. I swear I will never fail you again"

He walked out of the room and into Dr. Possible who had eavesdropped
on his confession. "Ron, this isn't your fault."

"I'm sorry Mrs. Dr. P. If I stayed with Kim, if I were running
distraction," he said, unable to finish. He ran from her.

He ran out of the hospital, and ran all the way home. He ignored his
parents who mistook the blood on his face and clothes as his. He ran
into his room and slammed the door shut.

He glared at the weak, useless boy in the mirror.