Disclaimer: Quite unsurprisingly, I still do not own Teen Titans or Kim Possible. Though, if anyone was looking to get me a belated, or early, birthday present, HINT HINT!

Foreword: This chapter might push the 'T' rating, just because I don't understand what 'minor suggestive adult themes' means, in reality. I think offhand innuendo is 'minor' but, if not, I'll up the rating. More notes at the end.

Chapter 2: Welcome to Jump City! (or And You Are?)

"Well, this place isn't too horrible," Shego muttered, her eyes scanning the street for any sign of hostile action. While the emerald skinned villainess had been many places before, she knew for certain that she'd never been within a hundred miles of this place. After getting a bit lost (though, since they were lost to begin with, that wasn't difficult to accomplish) the four of them managed to stumble into what appeared to be the city's center, or at least a good place to start resolving the mystery of their location. Huge screens adorned the sides of every building, broadcasting everything from commercials to news. However, nothing looked familiar, though some of the names sounded right. It's like we're in a different time era. Knowing Doctor D and his stupid experiments, I wouldn't be too surprised. Without thinking, she threw her employer a dark look, causing the man to shrink away momentarily.

"Damnit! It feels like we're getting nowhere!" Kim groaned, trying to make sense of a news report flashing on one of the larger screens. Shego's eyebrows rose at the unexpected use of language, but she said nothing. As it was, Shego had little to complain about; she was still in one piece, no one had attacked them yet, and, though she found it more than a little odd, no one was staring at her. Thank God for the little things, I guess. She thought about retorting with something more suited to her style, something snide or teasing, or simply complaining that perhaps figuring out where they were, exactly, was something Kim Possible couldn't do, but she thought better of it. The moment I say a damn word, all Hell will break loose. Or freeze over. Not pleasant, either way. "Do any of you recognize where we are?"

"Sorry, Princess, but I'm as confused as you are," Shego managed a somewhat even tone, checking the sky once more. "If we're assuming that the large body of water over there is an ocean, we're either on the West Coast or in England."

"Um, Shego, I hate to be rude, but, none of these people are English!" Drakken, who was starting to get rather annoyed, looked around. "No accents, and the little conversation we've managed to overhear has lacked English idioms or used American slang. Besides, the architecture is wrong. I mean, we've been to England, Shego, that doesn't make sense as a possibility."

"Drakken, Shego knows that, but the West Coast option doesn't fit either," Kim interjected before Shego could round on her employer. "If we were on the West Coast, we would all know instantly what city we're in, either from having been there one missions or from landmarks. This city is easily the size of Los Angeles but it lacks any sort of distinction we're familiar with, and I know no big city on the coast has a huge 'T' sitting in their harbor. They are equally implausible and, yet, the only two options that could make sense. "

"KP, you just defended Shego," Ron pointed out, tapping his chin with his finger. "So, obviously, we're in a parallel dimension."

"What, she explains to you two knuckleheads things you should've already noticed, so we must be in a parallel dimension?" Shego snapped, turning the anger she was going to direct at Drakken towards the blonde sidekick. Ron seemed unfazed, a slightly cocky grin on his face as he pointed towards one of the screens. The other three looked up, staring at the weather man on screen without reaction. "And we are looking at…?"

"A map of the United States that is showing this place as 'Jump City' and holding the same geographical location as San Francisco," Ron explained, earning surprised looks from all three of his companions. Even Rufus looked slightly impressed, having just recently recovered from his bout of sickness after their impromptu trip. (Obviously, Bueno Nacho is not the food of choice when you're being thrown about by random green lights.)

"Is it just me, or did the buffoon get smarter?" Drakken finally said, scratching his head and looking from Shego to Kim.

"You know, I think he might have," Shego placed her hands on her hips and smiled. "That, or he managed to switch brains with the mole rat during the trip."

Ron looked to Kim before rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine, jab at me all you want, Shego. It's not like we might be stuck here for the rest of our lives or anything and you might have to actually consider being nice to me for a change."

"I'll consider it once Hell freezes over."

"ENOUGH!" Kim glared at both of them, and at Drakken for good measure, ready to say something else but was interrupted by her stomach growling. Shego raised an eyebrow.

"That was impressive, Princess. Can you make it talk?" Shego was rewarded with an eye roll and a snort of laughter from Drakken.

"Possible does bring up a good point; we should try to find something to eat while we have the chance, now that we've established where we are… sorta," Drakken managed a rather dignified tone, though it didn't sound natural coming from a man who used to rant about taking over the world, and lately ranted about making it a better place. It's like living with a bipolar talking blueberry.

"I'm with Drakken, surprisingly. Food is good," Ron chipped in, hiking a thumb towards a large, two story pizza joint at the epicenter of the area. "If this place really is America, in some sense, our money might still be good. Best to find that out now, don't you think?"

"Well, pizza does sound good," Kim's voice betrayed how hungry she was and Shego, rather sick of walking around anyway, decided to go along with it. In another surprising twist, the buffoon managed to score another point, as their money was accepted without question, though Shego ended up having to pay for all of them. "I never think to bring my purse on missions," the redhead sounded downright apologetic but Shego just blew it off, replaying as nonchalantly as possible.

"Well, don't. It would just get in your way. That's why I just carry a money clip: small, portable, and easy to manage. And you owe me," Shego was surprised as those last four words left her mouth but didn't let it show, her mouth setting into her usual, taunting smile. The buffoon and Dr. D were too busy with their pizza to notice but Kim's bright green eyes seemed to flicker a moment, meeting Shego's emerald orbs, before staring rather intently out towards the rest of the city. Oh, I think I touched a nerve. Wonder what Kimmie is thinking about. Maybe I should let her… suggest how to pay me back? Shego shook her head a little. Maybe that bright flash knocked something loose. I can't believe where this thought train is taking me. Shego was pulled from her thoughts by a something small poking her in the ribs. The emerald woman raised an eyebrow to the child standing there, looking at her with wide eyes. Instinct said to tell him to buzz off but the look Kim had promised she wouldn't like the outcome of that action. Instead, the villainess gritted out a terse reply. "Can I help you?"

"Are you Beastboy's sister?" the query sounded so innocent, the woman it was directed to allowed her face to soften slightly, forgetting her audience.

"Uh, no, I'm not. Why would you ask that?" Shego missed the look of slight shock on Ron's face at the slight tenderness in her usually snide tone. She also missed the smile on Kim's face.

"'Cause you're green, just like him!" the child eyed her critically, or as critically as an eight-year-old could manage. "Are you sure?"

"He could be my cousin," Shego offered, trying to placate the child. It worked; happy with her answer, he returned to wherever he'd come from with a smile. When her attention returned to the table, she caught the tail end of Kim's smile quickly obstructed with a slice of pizza. Ron, however, didn't have the foresight to change his facial expression and earned the woman's scorn. "What are you looking at, moron?"

"Nothing, I was just, uh, checking out that blonde the next table over! She's hot!" Shego raised a brow at this sudden outburst but let it slide. She'd find a way to exact her revenge some other time. Huh, I knew they'd split up, but it's never really been in the buffoon's nature to check out girls. Obviously a cover-up, of course, but Kim… didn't even flinch. Shouldn't she still feel something for her boy toy? Or at least be annoyed that he would say that? Something… maybe… Shego's thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of screams and the painful screeching of metal on concrete. Shego sighed as she saw her redheaded foe get that 'let's go save the world' look in her eye. And just when I thought this could pass for a vacation.

"Um, what was that?" Drakken asked aloud, jumping up with the others to rush to the edge of the second floor patio. Down below, the four witnessed something strange, even for them. A man was riding a motorcycle with flames following close behind, cackling like a madman as he used some strange piece of metal to shoot out red, what were those, lasers? If the damage he was causing, with bike and handlaser (for lack of a better term), wasn't enough, not far behind was a massive man made out of concrete, picking up and throwing just about anything he got his hands on, without any effort either. He looks like something out of a Mayan's nightmare. Shego glanced at Kim, noticing the building determination in her expression. Oh yes, not even our own dimension and she's going to save the world. Shego again turned her attention to the two beings wreaking havoc below. Damn! She's going to need my help. No way just her and the buffoon can take them down.

"Ron, let's go!" the redhead suddenly turned, ready to make a break for the stairs down to the street level. Before she could get away, a man, probably in his mid 20's, grabbed her arm.

"Are you nuts! Don't go down there! The Titans will be here any moment, let them deal with it!" Without thinking, Shego reached forward and shoved the man aside, effectively breaking Kim free of his grasp. The heroine arched a brow at the emerald villainess, earning a disinterested look from her 'savior'.

"We have a better chance of getting back with nerdlinger's help, so keeping you alive is in my best interest. And I just know you won't wait until the suitable authorities arrive, so how about we go kick some ass and get back to the pizza?" Shego managed a sufficiently mocking tone, allowing the teen to resume her task of heading down the stairs. Ron slipped past Shego with a muttered 'thanks' and followed suit.

"I think I'll stay here, Shego. I know I'd just get in your way if I tried to help," Drakken spat, a bit venomously. "I never did have that uncanny luck the buffoon always seems to possess. What's his name again? Reginald? I know it starts with an 'R'…"

Shego rolled her eyes, ignoring the accusing look Drakken was giving her. They never did finish their previous conversation, back when Kim had first come over to thank her, and Shego wasn't too keen on finishing it anytime soon. After all, she'd said her piece, and nothing the 'good doctor' had to say would change her mind. Without worrying about the stairs, Shego flipped over the railing, landing quite effectively on a nearby bench. Surprisingly, Kim had beat her down and was surveying the scene with a critical eye. Shego was doing the same. Their eyes locked; sometimes they thought too alike for Shego's tastes. Kim opened her mouth but was instantly cut off.

"No, Princess, I'll take the walking statue, you worry about that two-wheeled idiot." It was obvious; Kim would, naturally, want to take the more dangerous of the pair. She always did, leaving her buffoon to handle the less threatening aspect of whatever they faced. Shego, however, was not the buffoon, and nothing that woman managed to pack into her cargo pockets would ever bring down that monstrosity. She could see it in those bright green eyes, the will to argue and the logic of the situation battling it out. While Shego would have enjoyed hearing the argument, there simply wasn't time for debate. "They aren't gonna wait all day!"

"Right!" Kim nearly growled, accepting her assignment and turning her full attention to the motorcycle maniac. Shego had to fight to hide the smile she felt tugging at her lips; gloating over ordering Pumpkin around would wait until after things were settled. Her target in sight, Shego ignited her plasma on both hands and charged the concrete monster, easily gaining the creature's full attention. With a practiced grace, Shego dodged the car thrown her way, jumping up onto it and then using it as a sort of spring board to launch higher in the air. There were several things she had to consider: it was strong, obviously with a high resistance to pain, and without any major weakness she could detect. But she also knew she was faster, smarter, and had the added advantage of being notoriously hard to kill. As far as she was concerned, things were looking in her favor. Clasping her hands together, Shego brought down a heavy, plasma laden blow to the creature's head, causing it to stumble backwards. The green skinned woman smirked, wondering if she'd given the creature too much credit, but quickly ducked beneath the massive fist aimed her way. It was only after retreating a sufficient distance that Shego noticed the lack of any damage done to the creature. Great, just my luck. This is what I get for trying to be a 'good' guy. Kimmie better be having better luck; I don't have the patience to take on this thing and the weirdo knucklehead!

"Uh oh, looks like kitten wants to play," the man on the motorcycle laughed, wheeling the bike around to face Kim as she stood in the middle of the road, set in her usual defensive stance. She had a good twenty feet between them. She hoped it would be enough.

"Come on, Motordork, let's see what you've got!" Kim inwardly groaned about not having a better taunt lined up. However, she had more pressing issues as the engine revved and tires squealed, the man careening towards her at an unnaturally high speed. And Kim, being Kim Possible, did the only logical thing she could think of: ran straight at the bastard. She felt a wide grin dominate her features at the shock registering on the man's face. That grin turned into a full fledged smile as she leapt into the air and aimed her jump kick square at the villain's chest. The man didn't stand a chance, the combined speed of the collision knocking him from his bike. The motorcycle veered off the road and eventually clattered to the ground as both its owner and Kim crashed to the ground. Kim had the sense to roll as she landed, though the pain in her shoulder screamed 'dislocated' louder than Ron's shouts of horror. As the redhead staggered to her feet, she noticed her opponent was looking just as pained as she guessed she would look, had she not mastered a rather impressive poker face years ago. As subtly as possible, she jerked her shoulder back into place, knowing she'd need to seek medical attention as soon as possible. But that was for later. Her fallen foe had recovered himself enough to stand.

"Wh-what the Hell are you!" the man growled out, producing a long chain from seemingly nowhere. Without hesitation, Kim snapped into her fighting stance, her face exuding confidence the confidence and cockiness that had won her such disdain from her usual enemies.

"A kitten with claws!"

Heh, more like a tiger made of steel. Shego spared a thought to the redhead as she dodged yet another flying car. At least the teen heroine was having a better time of things than she was; the concrete monster just would not stay down! And She'd tried everything short of exploding the damn thing! I may not be the goody-goody heroine Kimmie is, but I will not be responsible for killing this thing! Shego mentally resolved, grounding her teeth together as it turned to face her. Though she was trying every trick she knew, her anger was beginning to grow, and the more powerful it got, the brighter her plasma became. By now, the clever villainess was running out of ideas to combat the creature, all her blows thus far barely making a dent in its surface. However, the concrete monster was starting to slow down, as if it was getting tired, though Shego was certain that wasn't the case. It had to be something else; like it was debating whether to turn and run or stay and fight. No matter. The damn thing was still in front of her, so she still had one hell of a fight on her hands.

"Wow, you redefine the term 'port-o-shitter' for the entire avian community. I'm sure your mother is so proud," Shego shouted as she flanked around the creature's right side. While the taunts and teases were subpar, Shego was more concerned with keeping the creature's attention, specifically keeping it away from Kim and the other bystanders, though, by now, most people had cleared out. Only a few stood at the very far edges of the street, watching the twin battles rage with mouths hanging open. Speaking of idiots with their mouths open, where the Hell is the buffoon?

"Aren't you supposed to be helping them?" Drakken cut into Ron's thoughts, causing the blonde sidekick to turn his chestnut eyes on the former evil scientist. The older man had a very disproving look on his face, like he was preparing to lecture Ron on his lack of participation.

"Dude, don't you ever pay attention to Kim's fights? Usually, she takes on the big bad, or most destructive, person in the room and then I try to stop the evil plan or wait until there's a chance for me to help. If I stray of our usual plan of attack, I'll just end up in her way," Ron casually indicated Kim, who was dodging the chain being flicked around like a whip while ducking in to deliver a few good punches. Drakken didn't seem impressed, managing a rather fitting glare. Ron was not in the mood to argue with a man who probably didn't even remember his name. "I thought you were staying on the patio anyway?"

"I was going to… then I realized some habits die hard," Drakken added almost sheepishly, producing from his lab coat a strange ray gun looking device and a few small balls. Ron raised a brow and reached for the ray gun, only to have it held away from him, the small balls offered instead. "Again, some habits die hard; I don't trust you with a catatonia inducer. You might use it on me."

"Touché, although, to be honest, I have no idea what that does," Ron admitted, accepting the small balls, a total of six in all. Rufus appeared on his shoulder to inspect one. Despite everything, Ron suspected his pet was just as adept at understanding the technology as he was, if not a little more so. "Well, what are they? A new type of bubble gum?"

"You know, I did have an idea for a- nevermind!" Drakken shook his head, visibly pulling himself away from his tangent. "These are a special kind of smoke bomb that releases a crystallizing agent. Utilized effectively, they will bring whatever comes in contact with it to a complete standstill, covered in a nearly unbreakable layer of chemical crystal." Drakken looked between the two fights and groaned. "The catatonia inducer temporarily blocks electronic impulses to the brain, inducing a sort of catatonic state-" Drakken noticed the blank stare from Stoppable and groaned, "-it makes the person unable to act or react, though they retain their basic survival functions. It will only work on organic matter though."

"Which I'm guessing means you get to use the freeze ray on the biker dude and I have to take down giganto with some fancy lame fireworks, and that neither of these things have been tested, so we're pretty much hoping and, or, praying. Am I in the ballpark?" Ron's voice held a vague amount of humor, as if he half expected it from the beginning. Drakken thought about questioning the lad, seeing as his attitude didn't resemble the buffoon the Doctor remembered from nearly a year ago, but that would be saved for a later time.

"I would suggest talking to Shego before you employ the crysto-balls. I don't know how they'll react to living tissue," Drakken, ignoring Stoppable's question altogether, adjusted something on his catatonic inducer before looking towards Kim and the biker.

"You don't trust me with a freeze ray but you'll let me throw untested, possibly deadly, materials at your girlfriend?" Ron raised a brow, seeming genuinely confused. Drakken scowled at the teen, responding purely out of annoyance without regard to the words he was using.

"She is not my girlfriend, Stoppable. And trust me: you'll have Kim to answer to if anything were to happen to Shego." Drakken turned and stormed away, leaving Ron stunned. He looked down to his pet, hoping for some explanation. When the naked mole rat simply shrugged, Ron sighed.

"Buddy, I don't like the sound of that."

"Gee, for a big bad biker man, you sure are one helluva wimp!" Kim teased, lightly jumping to the side as the chain harmlessly sailed past her. At this point she seemed to just be toying with him but that wasn't completely true. She was just waiting to see if he would offer up the information she needed. "That why you needed the big guy? Couldn't cut it on your own?"

"Ha! Johnny Rancid doesn't need help from anyone! I just happened to be in the neighborhood, decided to tag along with two ton over there, the guy throws a mean party," the biker, or Johnny rather, hiked a thumb behind him, managing to coincide perfectly with the sound of a car exploding. "See what I mean?" Kim spared a glance behind her target and saw a streak of emerald rolling away from the flaming vehicle. "Cinderblock is just a really fun guy. A no-strings-attached partner in destruction, just the way Johnny rolls!" Obviously, Rancid didn't have the information she wanted; now was the time to put an end to this little dance.

"That's too bad," Kim waited for the chain to be thrown her way again, then grabbed it, pulling Johnny towards her and sharply lifting her knee, robbing the man of breath before he hit the ground. "Now, Johnny, do us all a favor. Be good!"

"Pfhu! Is that all you- Ghrah!" Johnny had started to get up, spitting blood out of his mouth in the process, but stopped with a cry of pain before hitting the ground once more. Kim stared at him a moment, a sudden fear that maybe she'd seriously injured him welling in her heart. When the hand fell on her shoulder, the teen heroine nearly sent the man flying over her shoulder, except the words managed to stop her automatic reaction.

"Possible, he's fine, just catatonic," Drakken's voice was slightly edgy, like he's been on another of his rants. The redhead turned to see her former enemy holding some sort of ray gun. Noticing her gaze, he sighed. "Some habits die hard, alright?"

"Yeah," she mumbled, looking back to the man lying rather still on the ground. A villain named Johnny Rancid whom Kim had trounced while barely breaking a sweat. Kim couldn't help but smile. "I know exactly what you mean. Some things never change."

"Hookay, you are getting on my last good nerve, guy, and I only had one to begin with!" Shego yelled, throwing balls of plasma at the monster. While she was wearing down the two ton nightmare, Shego was beginning to feel the effects herself. After all, she'd been flipping over, running around, dodging above and ducking below the concrete man the entire fight. She was limber and fast, but damn she was starting to get tired. Why can't I have that uncanny luck Kimmie has? Is that too much to ask for?

"Shego!" an all too familiar voice called out though it wasn't the one she'd been hoping to hear. Ah yes, the buffoon. What's that? I could've sworn I just heard God laughing at me. Throwing a few more plasma blasts directed at the creature's face bought her a few seconds, allowing her to demand what the blonde sidekick wanted with her. "Drakken gave me some weird smoke bomb things! Tell me when to throw them!"

Shego spared Ron an incredulous glance. My life is in the hands of the buffoon. I was right; that was God laughing. Loudly. While she hadn't exactly listened to Drakken's extended explanation of the contraptions, she knew enough to not be within a fifteen foot radius when the things went off. However, she also knew the damn things needed at least five seconds to activate. From the speed she'd seen the creature move the entire fight, Shego knew the only chance of making those little bombs work was knocking it down and throwing them as he fell. But that would take timing, a lot of strength, and some serious speed if she was going to get out of there in time. Damnit, just can't catch a break today, now can I? Shego grinned, rather pleased with the turn of events. This beat sitting around the lair, any day!

"Monkey Boy!" Shego called out, quickly formulating the plan in her head. "The moment he starts to fall, throw those bombie things!"

"Shego, behind you!" Ron called out, a bit too late. Shego had already registered the sound of that maniac's motorcycle roaring back to life but the added hint of confusion in the buffoon voice tipped her off. Looking over her shoulder, Shego couldn't help but smile as Kim revved the engine. While it didn't surprise her that the teen could operate a motorcycle, it did take the emerald villainess by surprise that the heroine would ride without a helmet. Then again, Shego reasoned, she wasn't going very far. As Kim cranked the throttle and shifted into gear, Shego ran to one of the cars that had been thrown at her and managed to land right side up, charging her plasma to its strongest before slamming her right fist into the vehicle's hood.

Ron watched, slightly stunned, not even registering Drakken had joined him. The entire vehicle teetered forwards, the front end dipping to the ground just as Kim approached on the motorcycle. Shego jumped clear of her impromptu ramp as Kim managed to pop a wheelie, riding up the car and dismounting midair, kicking off the motorcycle as it sailed towards her target. Kim landed on the other side of the now destroyed car but Ron knew she had made a perfect landing. The motorcycle, however, had a much less graceful landing, crashing into the creature, causing the stone menace to stumble backwards and eventually fall. Ron noticed a second too late and hurriedly threw the six balls Drakken had given him. His aim was terrible; only three of the balls hit. Then again, he reasoned, he was never a baseball guy.

I honestly did not think he would remember. Shego thought wryly, dusting herself off as she noted, with a certain smug satisfaction, that their little ploy had worked. The two ton headache was down for the count.

"That went pretty well, I think," Kim's voice caught Shego's attention. The redhead had landed not far away and while she didn't seem to be injured, her voice held a certain tint that indicated to the contrary. That and the way she was moving her arm to stretch her shoulder didn't bode well.

"Hey, Princess. Didn't get roughed up too bad I trust?" Shego kept her usual teasing tone, though she thought she could hear the underlying concern in her own voice. Don't tell me I've decided to go soft. Now would not be the time for going soft. Shego mentally chided herself, though she kept a teasing smirk on her lips. No matter how strange things got, she was determined not to let any sign of weakness show. That simply wasn't in her nature.

"No, just dislocated my shoulder when I knocked Johnny Rancid off his bike. I don't envy you; fighting Cinderblock must've been ten times as bad," the redhead shot the hunk of concrete a look and Shego assumed she meant it's name was 'Cinderblock'. Leave it to Kimmie to learn their names. All that mattered to her was that the thing wasn't getting up any time soon. Round two with the concrete man wasn't high on her 'To Do' list. "And you?"

"Me?" Shego couldn't keep the slight shock out of her voice. The teen heroine seemed genuinely concerned with her welfare. Strange. Shego quickly played it off, crossing her arms and raising a brow. "You honestly thought that thing could handle me? Please."

"Right, of course, how foolish of me," Kim responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes as the two started back towards Ron and Drakken. Just before the two managed to get to them, Kim mumbled something that Shego was obviously not meant to hear. "The two of us make a really good team."

Yeah, I know. Shego thought about voicing that thought but decided against it. Now wasn't the time. Will there ever be a time? She chuckled slightly, lost in her own thoughts as Ron asked if Kim was alright, Drakken knowing better than to question Shego. As the four made to walk back to the pizza joint, her emerald eyes focused on the ground. I need to get my head on straight. This thought train… needs to get derailed. I can't keep thinking about- where the Hell did that shadow come from? Before any of them could really say or do anything, the 'shadow' beneath them swallowed the four (plus Rufus). There was only one conscious thought flooding her mind. Fuck it's cold!

"Th-th-th-that was free-freezing-g-g!" the buffoon chattered as they suddenly reappeared somewhere completely different. Gone were the cars and street lamps, the sidewalk and buildings, replaced with just a clear view of the sea and the setting sun in the distance, casting an eerie orange glow over them. Still on the adrenaline rush from the fight that just barely ended, Kim and Shego were the first to recover, springing into their fighting stances, eyes searching for whoever had abducted them. They turned in unison, looking back to the East, where the city stood bathed in the orange glow, seemingly peaceful despite the fight that had just taken place somewhere in its depths. I guess random fights in the streets are a pretty normal thing around here. I never even heard a damn siren go off!

"We're… in the middle of the harbor?" Kim made no move to hide how surprised she was, quite easily summing up the feelings for the entire group. However, Shego had already made the next logical leap: there was only one thing standing in the harbor.

"Come out, you cowards!" the emerald woman roared, rather sick of playing little games and not knowing the rules, her fists igniting in a show of her frustration. Unfortunately, this time Shego got exactly what she asked for. Out of nowhere, something, or rather someone, came flying at her. She didn't have time to register anything about this figure except that it had a strange green glow around its hands that mimicked her plasma. Oh, this could be bad. Very, very bad. Shego grit her teeth and jumped at the figure. She didn't doubt the strength of her plasma or her fighting skill but she knew that, one, she was very high up, and, two, her opponent could fly. She was certain she could survive a lot of things but being thrown off the top of this tower was not one of them.

They met in the air, Shego's punch caught by the figure rather easily. They hit the ground, the figure landing with as much grace as Shego, and the villainess took quick note of what her attacker looked like. A female this time, a decided improvement over a dude made of concrete, they stood about the same height, though rather than green skin like Shego's, this girl had orange skin, bright green eyes and dark red hair, rather scantily clad in a purple outfit that looked more like a swim suit than anything. Shego threw her another punch, caught too, and growled as their fingers interlaced, plasma building as the emerald skinned woman glared at her orange skinned opponent. She could feel the warmth of whatever power her opponent possessed fighting against her. It was obvious this woman was holding back, that she could easily toss Shego aside like she was nothing, but they stayed locked in a staring contest instead. And, strangely enough, though she tried hard to keep the thought from her mind, only one thing kept playing in her head. Kim's eyes are much prettier than yours, you copy cat bitch!

Kim, however, had her hands full already. Nearly the same moment Shego leapt to meet her foe Kim had to defend herself from an entirely different onslaught. From seemingly nowhere, a young man appeared, wielding a metallic bo staff and rather intent on using on her! However, he was nowhere near as fast as Shego and Kim dodged his initial attacks with minimal effort, until finally acting on a back swing from her mystery attacker and grabbed his staff, landing a well timed kick on his exposed chest. With a slight flurry, Kim spun the staff into a comfortable grip, and just grinned as he produced another from one of his pouches, indicating that their battle wasn't over yet. Besides his over gelled black hair and the yellow emblazoned 'R' on his left breast, Kim noticed nothing else. Except the mask that covered his eyes. That was a bit odd. Then again, nothing about this place seemed anywhere near 'normal' so she just accepted it and raised her staff to block the incoming blow. They danced around, matching strike for strike, though Kim was the only one managing to put in body hits. Was he even trying to do the same? She wasn't sure.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Ron mumbled to himself, squaring off against his own opponent. She couldn't have been much older than him, though her hood obscured most of her face. He could still see her violet eyes easily. She looked at him like she could see his soul. It was beyond creepy. However, that wasn't the icing on the cake, no, the green naked mole rat perched on her shoulder was definitely the creepiest part. Rufus, knowing when he was being challenged, had taken up his own post on Ron's shoulder, glaring at his green skinned doppelganger with more annoyance (and maybe a bit of curiosity) than Ron had ever seen his pet convey. Returning his focus to the girl, Ron had a fleeting thought of Yori and the amount of hurt she could dish out without so much as breaking a sweat. "I don't know if it's insulting that I'm fighting a girl or an honor."

"The second one. Definitely," came the nearly monotonous reply before the girl stepped forward and extended her arm, her green Rufus wannabe running down the length of it to launch at Rufus. The pink naked mole rat readily accepted the challenge, meeting his twin in the air as Ron gave up hope of trying to understand this new place and charged his own opponent. After a few clumsy punches, which were dodged quite effectively, Ron managed to summon his Tai Sheng Pek Kwar, pressing the girl to actually fight him.

"I get the feeling you're not very good at this," Ron managed somewhat apologetically, before getting a cocky grin. "Maybe it was the first one."

Almost instantly, she returned with a punch of her own, her fist clad in some sort of black energy that sent the sidekick reeling backwards.

"Clearly, I spoke too soon."

"Come on, Blueberry, you gonna fight?" Drakken slapped his forehead with his hand and shook his head. As he was the last to be faced with his opponent, Drakken had already pieced everything together.

"No, I'm not," he almost laughed at the shock and disappointment apparent in the young man's face. Drakken put a hand in the air, counting off his points as he made them. "One, you're half machine, and from the looks of the circuitry I can see, there's, at the very least, a sonic disruptor built into each of your arms, which I cannot fathom competing against in my current state. Two, your entire team is taking it easy on us, either trying to gauge our abilities or test your own, and I see no reason in revealing any more information about myself than absolutely necessary. Three, you were waiting for us, have probably been watching us, and made sure this little display happened away from the public so they wouldn't get the 'wrong idea', I assume. Four, you don't seem too inclined on killing us, so I think it's relatively safe to assume you need our help for something. And, finally, Possible just kicked spiky's ass, making her a much greater threat than me."

The metal man looked over Drakken's shoulder and just stared, wide eyed, as the young man hit the ground, apparently unconscious, the redhead mentioned taking a running start at Ron's foe's turned back. Realizing the little test was over, he quickly bellowed loud enough to echo once across the harbor.

"YELLOW MONKEY PIZZA FOOT!"

Needless to say, everyone froze, staring at the metal man in surprise. As quick as it had happened the first time, the black shadow returned, and the cold along with it, vanishing nearly as quickly as all ten of them found themselves in a large room.

"O-o-okay, can we s-s-stop with the black-ck thingie!" Ron stammered, rubbing his arms in effort to warm up. Shego thought about echoing the sentiment but her last memory was of trying to throw the orange woman against a basketball goal and the need to stay alive dominated her senses.

"I'm sorry, but it is the quickest way to travel," the calm, even reply came from the young woman Ron had been fighting and he just nodded, not wanting to see what else that black magic of hers could do.

"We do apologize for the… seemingly unnecessary fights but we figured it would be the easiest way to introduce ourselves," the black haired young man spoke next, stepping towards Kim, Ron, Shego, and Drakken. Shego took a quick glance around, noting the large common area, a ridiculously huge couch, the adjoining kitchen area, and the multiple video screens. Yup, definitely a heroes' pad. Great. The buffoon seemed ready to argue but Kim cut him off.

"You knew what we all did for a living and assumed that the easiest way to come to respect one another would be through a direct confrontation?" Kim had her bright green eyes leveled at the young man, conveying her obvious displeasure with the deception. Shego took the moment to directly compare her eyes to the orange skinned woman. Yup, Kimmie's are much better. As if on cue, the orange skinned woman spoke, her voice annoyingly sweet to Shego's ears.

"Please, let us not fight! We wish to be friends!" said young woman stepped forward, putting her hand to her chest. "I am called Starfire. I am honored to meet you, all."

"Starfire?" Shego scoffed, running a hand through her black locks in annoyance. This was going to be one hell of a trip. "Fine, let's get on with the introductions, I'm-"

"Wait," the kid, presumably the leader, spoke again, putting a hand up to stop Shego mid sentence. "There are more of us, and I am sure you'd rather not explain who you are more than once."

"I'm tempted to fry you, gel boy," Shego grumbled, though the look Drakken and Kim shot her, simultaneously, demanded she play nice. Why, oh why, do I put up with this shit? I don't get paid nearly enough for this…

"Cyborg?" the young man allowed the threat to slide, looking to the metal man who was busy punching buttons on his forearm.

"Jinx, Commando, and Kid Flash just got back from cleaning up downtown. Terra should be here in a minute, the others will should get here three minutes later. Though KF might take the stairs and get here before Terra."

As if on cue, the doors behind the four teens opened and a, well, yellow blur entered, coming to a stop between Starfire and the young woman covered in a violet cloak. Shego cocked a brow, wondering why strange hero outfits managed to reach across dimensional boundaries.

"Heya! So, we getting started on this, or what?" the young man seemed to take the new arrivals in stride. Guess 'normal' here is just about anything 'strange' for us.

"No, we'll wait until everyone is here. Keeps things from getting too confusing," the leader replied, a slight edge to his voice. As the young man turned his head to look at his comrade, Shego caught sight of a nice little knot forming on his forehead. She couldn't resist.

"Hey, just because Kimmie kicked you into next week doesn't mean you have to get snippy with your friends, gel boy," stoutly refusing to acknowledge the reproachful glance from Kim, Shego continued, her arms folding across her chest. "Besides, you could tell me your name all day, I'll still call you gel boy. Hell, I still call him 'buffoon'." Shego nodded towards Ron, who glared at her.

"You guys never remember my name! We've known each other for years and you still can't get my name right!" Ron cried out, turning his back towards Shego and Drakken, scowling at nothing in particular. "At least I still have… Rufus!"

Shego rolled her eyes as the blonde sidekick started to panic, searching frantically for his pet. The small things get him every time. Little to her surprise, Rufus turned up, a similar creature standing next to him, though tinted green. In the blink of an eye, the green Rufus morphed into a young man, with forest green skin and eyes, smiling rather stupidly as he let Rufus jump into his hand, then back to his master.

"No sweat, man, we were just talking. He says you're a really good guy," though there was a slightly nasal tinge to his voice, it was preferable to Starfire's boundless cheer. Ugh, the cheerfulness. God has a wicked sense of humor! But, Hell, I'm bored, might as well get in what I can.

"I'm guessing you're Beastboy?" her voice caught the young man's attention, his pointed ears moving ever so slightly in reaction to his name. Rather than ask her how she knew, he just nodded and smiled. "Some kid thought I was your sister."

"Haha, really?" Shego was expecting something different than the glance he gave her, quickly summing her up from head to toe, then returning to her eyes. "More like half sister. Your skin is paler and your powers are way cool."

"Way cool?" Shego thought about biting back with a snide comment or something, but couldn't think of anything. The saying 'kill 'em with kindness' is no joke. I hate this place already. She thought irritably, wondering what other surprises were in store. Speaking of which, the doors opened once more, admitting a young woman with blonde hair, blue eyes and the strangest smirk. No end to the fun times today.

"Oh, cool, they're here!" she hopped down the stairs and muscled past her friends to stand in front of them. "I watched you two fight Rancid and Cinderblock. You guys redefine awesome!"

It suddenly occurred to Shego that she was directing the comment at both Kim and herself, completely bypassing Drakken and Ron, who were between the two women. Now would be a good time to laugh but, instead, Shego just gave her best impression of a heartfelt smile and allowed Kim to deal with the gushing teen.

"Oh, it was no big, we just make a great team." Shego snapped her gaze around in time to notice the slight widening of those bright green orbs. She didn't mean to say that. Glad I'm not the only one feeling a little screwy in this new dimension. "Will your other friends be here soon?"

"Define 'soon' for me, Red," everyone's attention was caught by the last two figures they were expecting, a young woman with gravity defying pink hair, whom had just spoken, and another young woman standing next to her in combat fatigues, though obviously modified. Shego couldn't help but admire the outfit. Standard black boots, though there was a hint of circuitry to them that lent to a less than usual use, standard Army cargo pants, with a distinctly Marine design, leading up to what appeared to be a metal breast plate, complete with pouches and an inverted combat knife, all in the same pattern. She even wore what could only be considered gauntlets, probably with all sorts of nifty gadgets built in, and a soft cap that seemed to reflect better times. Though it showed more skin than Shego would've liked herself (in fact, it was a bit reminiscent of Kim's outfit, seeing as how the woman's midriff was partially exposed), there was a certain badass aspect of walking around with just a little armor and a knife.

"Sorry it took so long, Sir, trying to repair the plasma damage took longer than anticipated," despite the edge, and the 'Sir', something about the woman's voice sounded downright jovial. Her partner, Jinx most likely, simply shrugged her shoulder and joined the rest of the congregation.

"Yeah, Bolts over there did a number on Cinderblock. And the city block, but that's not exactly a bad thing," Jinx threw Shego a smile that seemed to praise her skills. Right, 'cause I need the approval of a group of teenaged wannabes. When I was a hero I was ten times what these punks are. Hell, Kim's twice what they are, and she doesn't even have powers… again with the random thought trains… who the Hell is conducting! Shego shook her head, letting some of her frustration show in her voice.

"Can we get on with this? You obviously knew we were coming, but we are just as lost as we were when we first got here. So unless someone starts talking, I'm going to show you what it would feel like to be Cinderblock!" her plasma flared to accent her point and died quickly. She was both stunned and impressed that none of those assembled (excluding Ron and Drakken) flinched at the display.

"Well, I'm tough, but not tough enough to withstand that treatment," the fatigued woman stated, stepped forward and snapping a quick salute, giving the group a defiant smirk. "They call me Commando, as I'm sure you've guessed. Currently assigned as a reconnaissance officer and second-in-command to Bravo Team, I am, through and through, a soldier, fighting the freedom and the American way."

"Must you always be so obnoxiously formal, Com?" the purple haired woman sighed, stepping up next to her teammate. "The name's Jinx, mistress of bad luck. And, just so it's out in the open now, I was a bad guy. Now, I'm good… more or less."

"Mostly less," Commando mumbled and was quickly elbowed in the gut, just beneath the breastplate, her smirk growing into a full fledged smile.

"Stop flirting with my girlfriend, Com, or I might have to fight you for her," the yellow clad man said, standing to Jinx's right, being notably cautious as he entered the danger zone of Commando's swing. Shego smirked. Definitely know who wears the pants in this relationship. "Anyway, name's Kid Flash. And before you even start," he turned his bluish grey eyes on Shego. "it's because there's already a Flash, and I'm his, I guess you could say, protégé? I can move at super speeds, in case you hadn't figured that one out."

"And thus, you have met the incomplete Bravo Team, just waiting to be turned into our own rightful team: Titans' South," Jinx announced proudly. Commando raised a brow while Kid Flash spoke exactly what was on his mind.

"I thought we agreed the South is too warm?"

"I thought I told you I am not going to freeze my ass off up North?"

"Yeah, but-"

"I don't think this is a conversation for right now. We'll talk about it later." Commando's voice effectively ended the argument, motioning behind them. "Besides, it's Terra's turn."

"What, me?" the blonde girl asked, somewhat incredulous. "B-b-but I'm not really…" When she received affirmation from more than just Commando, she stepped forward, playing with the goggles around her neck. "Uh, okay, I'm Terra, and I used to be able to control the earth an' stuff," she was staring at the ground slightly. "But I, uh, lost my powers, so now I just, ya know, help out around the tower. Kinda? I'm working to get them back though."

"She's an excellent mechanic," Jinx chimed in, smiling at the girl. "And the best Spades partner around!" Terra smiled a little at that, regaining her full height. Obviously a story behind this blonde. I'll ask later. Maybe. With that done, the four stepped back and allowed the initial five to take their turn, Starfire, again the first to step forward, had a bright smile on her face.

"Again, friends, I am Starfire of Tamaran." She suddenly leapt up, flying through the air, and embraced Kim and Ron simultaneously. "I have learned, during my time on Earth, that hugs are a good way to show happiness towards friends!" She released the teens and moved on to Drakken and Shego, and while Drakken seemed more than ready to accept the show of affection, Shego stopped the alien in her tracks. "You do not like the hugs?"

"I'm just not a 'touchy-feely' gal, alright?" Shego replied tersely, noting the slight disappointment in those green eyes. Something about that look got to her and she reached out and patted the girl's bare shoulder. "There. That's as good as it gets."

"She's not kidding," Drakken grumbled quietly, pretending to be fixated on something on the other end of the room when Shego turned her scowl on him.

"Right, and, of course, you already know me," Beastboy stepped forward, with a friendly and a thumbs up to Rufus. "Your pal Rufus already told me a lot about you guys. I have the kick ass ability to morph into just about any animal. I say 'just about' because, hey, I haven't seen 'em all yet. But!" Beastboy turned to Kim, a somewhat suave smile on his lips. "Rufus told me you've been a little upset lately? And he also told something that might make you feel better."

In the blink of an eye, where there had been a green skinned young man now stood, a little shorter and still green, a rather strange creature than Shego and Ron were quite familiar with. I officially hate you, Beastboy. Despite her internal annoyance with the gesture, it took everything to keep from smiling as Kim jumped for joy, throwing her arms around the green mix between a panda and a kangaroo.

"Pandaroo! Oh my gosh, it's even cuter in person!" Kim squealed like a child, nearly hopping with the real life cuddle buddy in her arms. Too perfect.

"Hard to believe she's a nineteen-year-old heroine who's saved the world more times than most people take a shower, right?" The comment didn't stop Kim's excitement though it did bring her back to her senses. Once she released him, Beastboy took his normal form, purple leotard and all.

"Anything to make a pretty girl smile-" Oh, yes, I'm going to kill him. "-and it was Rufus' idea."

While Kim turned to thank the pet, who was blushing rather furiously (if that's even possible for a naked mole rat), the woman in the cloak stepped forward, letting down her hood to reveal bright violet eyes and matching hair, a rueful smile on her lips.

"Don't mind him; he's a people pleaser," she shot the green man a look Shego couldn't quite read before returning her attention to the group. "My name is Raven, a… psychic, of sorts. I can move things around, including people as you've come to notice, using my mind. I guess it could also be considered witchcraft, if you want to go that far. I… am not good at expressing my emotions, really, so I apologize in advance for the misunderstandings that will happen."

"Trust me, they'll happen. I thought she hated me for a solid three years!" Beastboy chimed in, giving the grey skinned woman a rather affectionate smile. Shego was surprised when all he received was a slight twitching of lips and seemed to take that as a victory. Stranger and stranger.

"Oh, my turn!" Though he'd already been identified as 'Cyborg', the metal man stepped up and slapped his chest. "Name's Cyborg, you can call me Cy. I was, once upon a time, one helluva athlete, but an accident turned me into the world's baddest talking toaster." Shego couldn't help but crack a smile at that one. "Along with all my awesome inventions, my specialty is bringin' down the house with this!" His right forearm suddenly whirred, revealing a gaping hole where his hand had been with an eerie blue light shining out. "My sonic cannon! Good call Doc, this baby is definitely not something you want to mess with."

"I gathered as much from the appearance but to have actually weaponized a component of your own body," Drakken was scratching his chin, looking slightly stunned. "What else have you managed to build or modify using such compact technology?"

"Oh, well, not to brag or anything, but there's the T-sub, a deep sea explorative submarine which doubles as a deep space spaceship, I also-"

"Hey Cy, think you'll stop having a fangasm any time soon?" Beastboy teased, making sure he was well away from the machine man, in case he took a swing. "Just because you have a nerd to talk to besides Robin doesn't mean you should do it all right now! Save some for the bedroom!"

"The bedroom?" Drakken asked, a bit surprised and confused. Realizing the implication, Cyborg quickly jumped to correct his green friend.

"He means when we show you to your rooms! That's all he meant! I have a girlfriend, thanks!"

"Right, sure, and I'm a purple people eater."

"You've been known to eat a certain purple haired person on occasion," Raven seemed surprised the words had left her mouth but made no attempt to retract the statement. Cyborg instantly hit the ground laughing while Beastboy turned three different shades that Shego instantly knew to be the changeling blushing. "Just sayin'."

"Moving on!" gel boy, or, Shego supposed, Robin, growled out, returning attention to the matter at hand. "I'm Robin, leader of the Teen Titans and Titans' West."

"I'm still calling you 'gel boy'."

"Noted," Robin ground out before sighing and looking to each of them expectantly. When a full minute of silence passed, the boy wonder slapped his forehead and sighed. "And you are?"

"Oh, he wants to know our names! How rude of us!" Shego feigned shock, giving him a rather playful smile. She knew he was going to gauge them at everything they did, so here was her chance. "Hey, Doc, go first."

"What, me?" Drakken shook his head, coughed into his hand, and drew himself to his full height. "Right, well, yes. I am Doctor Drakken, formerly a mad scientist bent on world domination, and, after a certain very terrifying incident concerning some very mean aliens, recently made the transition to world acclaimed genius for my inventions. I have been focusing my research into the medical and technological fields, though I must say, I'm better with technology than medicine."

"That's cool with me," Cyborg piped up, finally over his laughing fit. "Maybe you can help me figure out what's wrong with the subatomic stabilizer I've been working on lately. See, we got this guy-"

"Again, conversation for another time," Commando's voice was so sudden, the tin man nearly jumped before nodding and letting the introductions continue. Shego didn't need to look to know that Drakken probably looked like a kid on Christmas Eve, ready to know exactly what was in that big red box with the green bow. Typical Doctor D., always looking to fiddle with something dangerous. Glad he has someone else to nearly kill now. Shego threw the buffoon a look that demanded he be the next to speak.

"Uh, hi, I'm, uh, Ron Stoppable. I don't really have any powers-" Rufus jumped up on his shirt and started chattering quickly, looking a bit annoyed. "-oh! Right, sorry buddy, I forgot. I do have some Mystical Monkey powers, this really ancient kung fu thing, but, heh, it comes and goes." The blonde smiled sheepishly, ruffling his hair as if searching for confidence. "And this, right here, is Rufus, my naked mole rat pet who is, well, pretty awesome. He also does the kung fu thing, and I think he's a little better than me." Ron looked around, as if searching for something else to say. "So, yeah, just call me Ron, heh, I'm with KP." He hiked a thumb towards Kim and Shego smiled. Ha! Didn't see that coming. Seems I'll win this round.

"Which would be me, by the way. I'm Kimberly Possible, Kim to my friends," Kim smiled her usual, you're-about-to-be-sorry-you-crossed-me smile, and finished with the most arrogant tone Shego's ever heard from the former cheerleader. "And I can do anything!"

"Including make Robin look like a toddler," Beastboy chimed in, earning a glare from the fearless leader. Starfire was quick to 'comfort' him though.

"Boyfriend Robin, do not be alarmed! Friend Kim was simply faster than you! I am sure you are not degenerating in age!" Though the words might've elicited a different response, the sweet tone they were spoken in (which nearly made Shego sick) earned her a tired smile from her apparent boyfriend. However, rather than share a sweet, touching moment- Thank God! -Robin turned his masked gaze to Shego.

"Saving the best for last?" he gritted out, picking up on Shego's intent. So he's not as stupid as he looks. That's not saying much though. Shego nodded, perching her hands on her hips.

"Name's Shego, the biggest, baddest, most wanted criminal in the world," she frowned. "Well, our world anyway." Her teasing, cocky grin came back almost instantly. "And I expect compensation for doing your job."

"Your compensation will be not falling to your death from being thrown out the window, Shego," Raven's voice betrayed a strain of mirth as well as a deadly seriousness the villainess couldn't help but admire.

"Unless, of course, you'd like to test our patience," Robin added, rather unnecessarily, though Shego knew it was just him jabbing back at her. Oh, I'll play this game, little boy.

"Test her patience, I think not. Test yours? Any day of the week, gel boy," Shego was about to ignite her plasma when a familiar redhead stepped between them.

"Shego, please, let's try not to piss off the only people who can help us," Kim kept her tone equal parts respectful request, logical argument, friendly plea, and authoritative order. That takes skill. I bet she learned it from her mother. Fuckin' neurosurgeon. With Shego standing down, Kim turned back to the Titans. "I think you mentioned something about rooms earlier? It's been a long day and we will probably be a lot more… amiable once we've slept some."

"A reasonable request," Robin growled, still throwing Shego challenging glares. "I have some work to do. The others will show you to your respective rooms."

"Way to bail, dude," Beastboy mumbled as Robin exited the room. With a roll of forest green eyes, the green young man offered the group a half smile. "He's been on edge since Raven's dream."

"Raven's dream?" Kim spoke, turning a questioning gaze to the woman in question. Raven merely waved it off.

"Tomorrow. You all need your sleep." And with that, she led the way towards one of the adjoining doors. The three remaining 'Alpha Team' members followed suit, with Commando tagging along, giving the excuse that she 'didn't want to hear those two arguing again' though Shego suspected otherwise. She is an intelligence officer, after all. She's probably doing some sort of recon. Best to stay on my guard, just in case.

The first room they came to was Drakken's which, once the door opened, cleared up the comment made earlier. Nerdlinger would be in paradise here. Shego couldn't help but think. (She'd come to know the techno genius a little better in setting up the surprise party but she refused to refer to him as 'Wade' no matter how many times he asked.) There were plenty of gadgets and toys for Drakken to fawn over while Cyborg explained them, then answered questions as to their use or design or some such nonsense. The group left the two with their toys and stopped next at Ron's room. Beastboy instantly took credit for the décor, which was heavy with posters of video games, not to mention a console or two, and a cordoned off area for Rufus, all the while sporting calming earth tones. Before long, they were wrapped up in video games and such talk, mindless drabble that Shego didn't care to hear.

"So, which floor is ours?" Shego asked as the door to Ron's new room whooshed closed. Starfire, Raven, and Commando all gave her a questioning look, to which she replied simply.

"I used to live in a tower like this. My brothers had their floor and I had one to myself, as the only chick. I assume it's the same here?"

"Of course. Didn't realize we had a veteran." Raven replied coolly, a slight smirk in her voice. Shego wanted to snap at that comment but couldn't figure out how. It annoys me how much I'm starting to like her.

When they did reach the next floor up, the five came to Kim's room first. As soon as the door opened, Shego was terrified of what her room might look like. The walls were pink and bright, accented by lime green and yellow, with little happy faces here and there. Needless to say, the former cheerleader loved it.

"This kinda reminds me of home," she said, a touch of sadness in her tone. Starfire didn't seem to register it though.

"Then you like it, friend Kim? We can make adjustments to it at your will!" the alien supplied, floating about six inches off the ground. Kim, ever the polite person she was, began talking about what could be changed. Most of it sounded like Kim was going to go less kiddy and more, well, mature, as far as decorating went. Good; I wouldn't be able to take a step in there as is. Shego blinked a few times. And I want to go in there because…? Stupid Doctor D.! I blame him for putting these thoughts in my head! Shego scowled and mentally punched the thought train aside.

"If it's any consolation, I didn't let Starfire anywhere near your room," Raven's calm tone barely hid her mirth as she started off. Shego suddenly became aware that it was just the two of them, Commando having disappeared somewhere between entering Kim's room and them leaving. Another thought, tinged with jealousy and anger, fought to make itself heard but Shego squashed it before it had the chance.

"What're you so happy about?" Shego demanded as they proceeded down the hall. Raven shrugged as they stopped outside a door that looked just like every other one before it.

"I guess I'm excited to see what you think." Not only is she bad at conveying emotion, she's a terrible liar. Whatever, not like I give a damn anyway. Shego was glad she didn't attempt to insult the woman as her door slid open. Her room was much darker than Kim's but not so much so that it was depressing. Edgy, green tinted art adorned the walls and the bed, which Shego noticed with raised brow appeared to be queen sized, had emerald sheets with black pillows. Everything was tinged green or black while looking sharp and sleek, from the bed to the TV and computer in the far corner. It looked modern, focused, and defiant. Okay, this is scary. This is almost perfect. Raven must've read her mind. "You seemed more of a… cutting edge person. Changes can be made, of course; our budget is ridiculous."

"I see. How did you know?" Shego asked directly, stepping into her new domain and watching the younger woman with a slight mistrust. Raven merely smiled.

"Let's just say a little birdie told me. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Get some sleep. You'll need it."

As the door closed, Shego couldn't help but feel a slight anger building within her. Jumping onto her new bed, she stared at the ceiling, which, oddly enough, held a bizarre abstract design of its own that seemed to soothe her even as it ticked her off that someone should know her so well. There's something they aren't telling us, something they know. They knew we were coming. They knew we weren't normal. They knew too much and, yet, too little. Shego growled in frustration. She didn't like this, not one bit.

"Tomorrow, I'm getting my answers. Whether that's with or without a massive amount of pain is up to them." Shego suddenly growled, sitting up in the bed. "AND THEY OWE ME PIZZA, DAMNIT!"

Continued in Chapter 3: Earn Your Keep (Or Tell Me He's Kidding!)

Author's Note: Chapter 2 is over, but not quite. Honestly, I had more planned for this chapter, but it was just didn't fit in with everything I knew had to be here, so it'll be pushed off for 'tomorrow', so to speak. Next chapter is in the works, just depends on how much time I have over the weekend on when it will get posted.

Side note: Commando is a random OC I created for this fic. Her back story will be explained in later chapters but, just to lay it bare, she's a nod to the Halo games' Spartan II's. The breastplate mentioned is based on the CQB Body from Halo 3. I'm not saying she is from Halo, I'm just explaining where I got the idea for her character.

Questions, Comments, Concerns - Review. It is appreciated.

Note to the haters: Yes, Terra has returned, and the full details will be explained in the next chapter as part of what I couldn't fit into this one. Don't like her? Leave a flame. I'm cold anyway. *brr*