A Sitch in Jump City

by Texan Red Rose

During a "Welcome Back" party, Kim, Shego, Drakken and Ron are transported to Jump City, home to the Teen Titans. As they search for a way back to Middleton, the new Team Possible join the Titans' fight, but who brought them here? And why? [Kigo, BBXRea]

4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Wait, wait, wait! Damn, nope, still don't own Kim Possible or the Teen Titans. Seriously, dude. Seriously. *brilliant idea* I should let Motor Ed write my disclaimers! … Seriously…

Chapter 4: Odd Man Out (or Introducing the New (and Maybe Improved) Team Possible!)

"Something tells me she likes it," Beastboy laughed, patting Cyborg's metallic shoulder. Every resident of the Tower was currently gathered on the roof to watch as the newest Titans began their training. A week had passed without incident, the newest additions to Titans' Tower settling into the routine surprisingly well, though the veteran Titans kept the observations to themselves. High in the sky, three figures were cutting through the air like it was butter.

Okay, I'll give it to the Tin Man, this is awesome! Shego didn't dare say the words aloud yet, still getting the hang of using her new suit as the wind whipped past. Cyborg had designed it to mimic her typical cat suit but this new one was made from green synthetic material and black neo steel, sculpted to fit her body as snugly as her old one. While the steel was designed to provide support, it also held the ability to bend slightly, allowing for Shego to fight hand-to-hand surprisingly well (she still thought it was a bit too restrictive). The added protection wasn't her favorite feature though. Thanks to Drakken's already extensive research into her powers, Cyborg was able to design the suit to feed off her plasma as a power source. Now, rather than just throw plasma, she could fly and throw plasma, along with a myriad of other functions.

She was slicing through the air, with Starfire on her left and Raven on her right, doing simple high speed maneuvers, rolling, dodging, ducking, though there was nothing to avoid, the goal was to stay between the senior Titans and match them step for step. Come on! Let's go! Shego desperately wanted to take things to the next level, to continue learning the powers of this suit, but Raven was quite clear with the rules. After all, this was only her first time in the suit. Back on the ground, the rest of the Titans couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I think she's diggin' the suit. Course, Doc really helped with the design," Cyborg turned his attention to the other suit he'd worked all week on, alongside Shego's. "Well, Lynn, are you going to give it a shot?"

"Of course," the redhead replied instantly, already used to her chosen codename. It helped that 'Lynn' sounded a little like 'Kim' when yelled. She'd been watching the three carefully, running over the controls in her head. Unlike Shego, Kim's suit wasn't as simple as manipulating an ever present plasma field. Also unlike Shego, Kim had only her acrobatics and sheer force of will for 'powers' and needed a more... technological answer to the problem. As she continued to build her confidence in the controls of her suit, Robin whispered to Cyborg.

"Why do these suits look so familiar?"

"Because I took the newer designs Starks has been working on and, well, tweaked them."

"Oh, great, like we need to owe him anything," Robin muttered, watching as Kim walked to the edge of the roof. Bright green eyes were focused, intense, completely dedicated to what she was about to do. Good thing too. The fall from the roof of the Tower was, without a doubt, fatal. If there was something the Titan leader could relate to, even admire, in the new arrivals, it was Kim's sheer determination.

"Shego!" the sickly sweet voice Shego had come to accept as a condition of her current situation called out, pulling her attention away from the boundless sky around her. Through the slight tint of her helmet's visor, Shego could see the Tamaranian indicate they turn around, heading back towards the Tower. Damnit! Finally something cool happens and they want to stop early. She didn't complain though, learning early in the week that the best way to keep the alien from giving her added grief was to be as polite as possible. Not that it always happened, but she put forth the effort, and everyone else seemed pleased with that much.

As they came to a nearly instant stop and reversed direction, Shego caught sight of a familiar redhead standing near the roof's edge. What the Hell is Pumpkin up to now? I never pictured her as a jumper. Though the helmet blocked her wingmen from seeing it, Shego's face fell and heart sank as Kim Possible leapt off the top of the Tower. Princess! Shego sped up, leaving her companions behind as she started to dive, hoping to catch up to the plummeting heroine. Just as her horror started to mount, it melted away just as easily as something purple appeared beneath the younger woman's feet and she veered away from the fast approaching Earth. Shego too adjusted her course, coming to flank Kim just as Starfire had. Whereas Shego was propelled by the plasma powered jets along the soles of her feet and smaller adjusting ones along her suit, Kim was riding what appeared to be a wider version of a snowboard. The suit Cyborg had designed for her held a striking resemblance to her latest mission uniform, purple on black in a complimenting design to Shego's own green and black suit, though Kim had nothing metal about her uniform. She had boots, true, but they seemed to be just as flexible as her usual sneakers, though they held a circuitry look like Com's, as well as gauntlets that covered her hands up to her forearms. Unfortunately, Shego couldn't see Kim's expression; the moment the flight board appeared beneath her feet, a helmet flew up to protect her head, much like Shego's suit did. It's creepy how they designed our suits to be so similar. Then again, I suppose it just helps keep things from getting confusing. Doesn't make sense to make two different suit designs for people who won't be around much longer... The grim thought nearly pushed her rage, which would've affected the plasma field that now ran her suit. That could be very bad. I should probably try getting mad before we go into a real fight. Kim suddenly swerved towards her, causing the emerald woman to spin away, glaring at her, though the helmet ruined the effect. Rather than try it again, Kim pointed at her helmet, then at Shego. Oh, right, they put a comm system in the helmets. Shego reached up and hit the button, returning to her flanking position easily.

Shego?

I'm here, Princess. Likin' the suit?

It's... well, I'm not going to lie, this is spankin'! Though they didn't need to, the adrenaline coursing through their systems had the two women nearly yelling into their comms. Luckily, it had an auto correcting function that kept their hearing intact, for the most part. I never thought I'd be able to do something like this!

I know what you mean!

Yeah. An audible silence passed as they started to climb. Shego could simply tilt her body to change direction and altitude. Kim had to maneuver the board, spinning her hips to follow after her former foe. I wonder what she's thinking about... We haven't talked much this week. It was true; except for at meals and during the random 'family time' (Shego had no idea how else to explain the nearly mandatory togetherness the Titans would declare now and again), the redhead had been avoiding her. And not in the accidental way either. Ever since she had asked about Shego's chat with Jinx, Kim had been keeping her distance. I just wish I knew why. Not that I care... okay, maybe I do care. A little. Damnit.

"So, why didn't I get a really cool suit like that?" Ron managed between pants, sweating heavily from his hand-to-hand training with Commando. While Kim and Shego had pretty much been allowed to take the week off, Ron had started his training the very next day with Raven. It started with meditating, which Ron had initially thought was stupid, but after five days of trying (and giving the empath several severe headaches) Ron had started to tap into his hidden powers. Now, it just took connecting those powers with the need to stay alive, and then being able to activate it when possible. At least, that's how Beastboy explained it. Ron, of course, was a little more skeptical. Especially considering he was expected to do all this flipping around and such with what could pass for a motorcycle helmet and a red and black jumpsuit to match Shego and Kim, though a little less armored. However, he didn't complain about his new uniform. Why? Because now he couldn't lose his pants while on missions as the uniform was a one piece jump suit. Somehow, that made the young man a little more confident in his training.

"You can't all be able to fly. You need a strong ground attack to compliment the air assault. Otherwise, you become entirely too easy to beat," Commando chided, patting his shoulder. She was at her biggest and strongest, pushing the blonde to use not only his speed to counteract her strength, but also leverage to overcome her size. He wasn't exactly accomplishing that mission but she had stopped being able to hit him about twenty minutes ago, so that was an improvement.

"You know, you don't have to lie to me," Ron sighed. "You guys think I'll break it."

"Your words, not mine."

"Are you saying it's not true?"

"..."

"That's what I thought," Ron looked up to the figures twirling high overhead, feeling his jealousy start to rise.

"You're getting better though," Terra's voice caught Ron off guard, though he had learned to stop jumping every time a Titan ambushed him. He managed to simply flinch this time. "Before long, you'll be able to take out the big bad Commando." The blonde girl threw a playful punch at the other woman, a bright smile on her lips.

"I don't know if that's an insult to me or a compliment to him," Commando laughed, settling into her fighting stance. "Now, come on, Triple M, you still have work to do."

Ron sighed, ready to get his ass kicked. Again. Repeatedly. "I swear some higher power hates me."

"Don't worry, you'll do fine!" Terra smiled, patting his back before running clear of their practice ring. At least he had one fan. And a pretty girl fan at that. As Commando launched her next assault, Ron could almost trick himself into believing he was keeping up with her. Almost. High above the combative lesson, Shego and Kim were soaring around, a green and purple streak through the otherwise clear blue sky.

Shego!

What?

Wanna have a little fun?

There was something to the redhead's tone that caught the emerald woman's curiosity. Oh, this should be good. But I can't just go with it off the bat. Teasing comes first, always. Am I starting to rub off on you, Princess?

Hardly. I just thought it would be cool.

I'm listening. Far below, Raven levitated fifty feet above the roof, Starfire next to her, watching their new fliers.

"Friend Raven."

"Yes, Starfire?" Before the words left the alien's mouth, her companion already knew what was coming.

"What do you think I should get Robin for the day of our anniversary?" the innocent question came each year from the alien, and Raven had been waiting all week for it. It wasn't that Starfire didn't have ideas of her own. Simply put, the kind hearted alien always feared she might inadvertently misuse a portion of Earth custom and anger Robin, which every Titan seriously doubted was possible. Yet, that didn't stop her from seeking the approval of others, most notably Raven and Cyborg. Beastboy was never any help, citing he 'didn't want to give away his secrets' which Raven had to admit was a good thing. She had come to adore the strange surprises he'd come up with, just to keep her guessing. Her mind snapped away from the changling and back to Starfire.

"Well, Star-"

"Raven! Starfire! Incoming!" Both airborne Titans quickly trained their eyes skyward, watching in horror as two figures, one a little purple, the other a little green, and both mostly black, were falling towards the roof, managing to exchange blows as they fell. While Starfire was about to fly to their aid, Raven made a motion to stop her. They were rolling through the air, the force of each punch and kick sending them nearly spiraling out of control. Yet, they never really lost control through the entire fall, each managing to keep a hold on the other.

Warning: Approaching Obstacle. Alter course. Warning. Damnit! Just when I was having fun. Kim must've gotten the same warning as their helmeted gazes managed to lock, a nod in unison, then the two brought their knees up to their chests and pushed off from the other's feet, changing their course enough to fall past the Tower's roof, though by too close a margin, barely a few inches. That could've ended badly. Kimmie's getting just as antsy as me, I guess. Shego took an extra ten seconds to activate the boosters on her suit, regaining the ability of flight and arching wide across the bay before heading back to the Tower. I'm sure gel boy is going to be pissed about that. Luckily, I could care less. Shego grinned wickedly, noticing a familiar purple streak rising on the other side of the Tower. Good. I'd be real torn up if you died, Princess.

"That was completely-"

"Awesome!" Beastboy and Cyborg shouted at the same time, cutting off Robin entirely. Raven threw the boys an exasperated smile. It was reckless but it was also rather necessary in her opinion. After all, pulling a stunt like that over Jump City would rather easily explain the moniker 'Adrena Lynn' and capture the hearts of over half the city.

"That was very dangerous but it looked very cool," Drakken surmised, getting used to the new suit Cyborg had designed him. Considering his track record, it was unanimously decided that he would not be participating on the front lines. However, he was rather good at working the computer system, and seeing as how having a techno genius somewhere safe had saved her a few times, Kim had suggested he stay back at the Tower and provide whatever backup he could from there. Of course, the blue scientist had no issues with this. Still, he got a new costume, one that held a softer tone of blue with a bit more black in abstract patterns to match the rest of his 'team'. Plus aviator goggles, just because he thought they were cool. "Hmmm, so, when will we be making our big debut?"

"Not sure," Robin grumbled, passing a hand over his face. "Do they always act like this?"

"Pushing the limits of your sanity by either ruining your plans or ridiculing them?" Drakken questioned, nonchalantly picking some gunk out of his ear. "In my experience, they consider it their purpose in life."

"I'm starting to wonder if this was such a good idea," the boy wonder admitted, watching as Shego made a rolling landing and Kim deactivated her board about three feet from the roof. As Shego gained her feet, her helmet dropped down, revealing those critical emerald eyes and challenging smirk, Kim winding up right next to her as they face the Titan leader. They landed so gracefully, Robin briefly wondered if that was their natural ability or the suits before pushing it from his mind. "Was that absolutely necessary?"

"Are you saying you'd rather us learn midair combat, disengaging and reengaging our suits during a real fight?" Shego cocked a brow, crossing her arms at the same time.

"Oh, and don't forget, we'll need to learn emergency maneuvers in order to minimize collateral damage during our aerial battles," Kim chimed in, her helmet flipping down as she spoke. Robin looked between them and growled something none could understand.

"…You two planned this, didn't you?"

"You gave us internal comms for a reason, right?" Shego laughed, stretching her arms out. "We were working on our teamwork anyway. I don't know why you have to stress so much."

"Yeah, really, Robin, it's no big! How are we supposed to work as a team if you don't let us do our thing?" Kim started adjusting the settings on her control panel built into the right gauntlet. Giving up on reprimanding the two, Robin just told them to go inside whenever they wanted and left the roof himself. Raven, who had watched the exchange, glanced to her still floating friend.

"Starfire."

"Yes, Raven?"

"I know what you could do for Robin to make him very happy."

"Really?" bright green eyes widened with hope glistening in them. "Please, tell me!"

~A Few Hours Later, at Lunch~

"Hookay, are you sure you didn't take a blow to the head there, Pumpkin?" Shego set her Coke down, crossing her legs as she leaned back in her chair. The redhead in questioned shook her head, rather intent on her suggestion.

"Think about it! It's better than anything else we've come up with!" Kim persisted; her arms cross as she practically glared across the table. Why does she insist on sitting so far away? Shego pushed the thought aside but it returned. Perhaps she had said something to upset her former foe. I don't care! She lied to herself. "Team Possible has worked for Ron, Wade, Rufus and I for years! Why can't it work now?"

"Because, I dunno, maybe I'm not too keen on being a 'Possible'!" Shego used air quotes as she said the word and then instantly regretted it, though she wasn't quite sure why. I swear I'm going to have Tin Man examine my head! This is ridiculous!

"Would you rather us be Team Go then?" Kim offered, slightly deflated.

"Ha, no, you aren't Go material, trust me," Shego wanted to slap herself as she caught the slight hurt in those bright green eyes. Aw Hell! Now I've gone and made her sad. And I care about her feelings, why? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME? Shego tossed the internal confusion aside as she gritted her teeth and swallowed her pride. "Hmmm, well, it's only for one fight, right? I guess 'Team Possible' wouldn't hurt."

"Right!" Kim instantly perked up. "See! You'll like being... a... Poss...i...ble..." The awkward finish was noticed by all present, though everyone dutifully ignored the now blushing redhead. Damn, one shade more and her face'll match her hair! Wonder what's going on in there though... what's she thinking?

"You know, maybe I will." Shego gave one of her seductive smiles and ran a hand through her hair. On the outside, she looked cool and calm. On the inside, she was anything but. Where the Hell is this coming from? I mean, I know that I... no, no, no, I need to just stop thinking altogether. Completely. A thick silence settled between the two while other conversations continued, though none address the two women.

"Rufus! Where the heck have you been?" Ron seemed genuinely surprised as the naked mole rat hopped onto the table, seeming rather chipper. Well, more so than usual. The rodent looked to his owner and started squeaking out a reply, pointing to Beastboy. Shego noticed the look on his face. It said it all: BUSTED! Thank God. I thought I might have to actually find something to take my mind off her- I mean... Damnit!

"Uh, oh, green boy's in trouble!" Shego taunted from the other end of the table. A brief glance registered that Kim had also turned her attention to the fiasco. Guess she needs the distraction too. As Rufus finished his explanation, Ron nearly jumped out of his seat.

"THEY BUILT YOU A WHAT!" Ron looked between Beastboy and Cyborg, though the latter had little idea what was going on and decided to verbally confirm his suspicions.

"Uh, BB, does this have anything to do with the-"

"Yes."

"I thought so," Cyborg nodded, then raised his eyebrow. "I don't understand why you're mad though."

"What?" Ron shook his head. "I'm not mad. You built Rufus his own computer! That's amazing! How did you manage to make it though? Don't computers take, like, a lot of… stuff? And things?" And that is why we call him the buffoon.

"Uh, yeah, but the computer itself isn't his size. I just created a micro keyboard and interface that runs on the same memory as the standard Tower computers," Cyborg shrugged his massive shoulders. "He seems like a smart little... whatever he is, smart enough to know how to work a computer and debug it. I'm sure he won't get into too much trouble using the standards. But I will ask that he doesn't do something crazy like, for instance, use it to play a pirated copy of a highly disruptive video game." The last words were grated out, the metal man slowly turning to glare menacingly at Beastboy.

"Hehe, my bad?" the changling offered weakly, looking to distract his friend. "Thanks for understanding, Ron. It means a lot to Rufus."

"Yeah, he's always wanted one, but I never got around to asking Wade to build him something," Ron scratched his head absent mindedly. Shego's eyes narrowed suspiciously and she turned to catch the same look on Kim's face. Giving the rat a computer? That sounds suspiciously like a bribe to me. A very big bribe at that. But why? Though no words were spoken, she was certain that Kim was asking the same question, and would probably seek her out later to discuss the odd turn of events. Hopefully she'll come... Damnit! Son of a-!

The Titans assembled gave the emerald woman strange looks as she proceeded to bang her head against the table.

~A Bank in Jump City~

"Why do I get the feeling that this was a really bad idea?" See More whined, searching the faces of his accomplices for some sort of answer. Gizmo was too busy working on opening the vault door to answer and both Mammoth and Hive Cadet were reluctant to admit they had the same bad feeling. But they'd been golden so far. All the guards were knocked out, the security systems were disabled without incident, and they had made it to the vault within the five minute window they had allotted. Now, if they could get the door open and get out with the money within the next five minutes, they'd be away and scot free.

Which is exactly why they were so nervous. The Titans just had to know they were there. So why hadn't they shown up yet? Each of the team (except Gizmo, of course) was ready for them to pop up any minute.

"Finally! Stinkin' security piece o'..." Gizmo trailed off, muttering to himself as the other three dashed in to grab the loot. After securing as much as they could, the four bolted out the vault, down the hall and through the front door. Their getaway vehicle was just a block away. This was so easy, it just had to end, but as the four made the final turn, their destination in sight, and it looked like they might win after all. Of course, by this point, people had started shouting, seeing four wanted criminals sprinting down the street with bags of what could only be money. And they were so close to getting away!

"Hehehe, guess the stinkin' Titans have the day off!" Gizmo laughed, landing in the driver's seat as the others hopped in, incredulous as to their luck.

"Unfortunately for you, they do!" a distinctly feminine voice the four had never heard before called out to them clearly. As one, four heads turned to the top of a nearby building, where four figures stood. Black tied the four together but each had a distinctive color: red, blue, green and purple. "Guess you're stuck with us!"

See More groaned. "I knew this was a bad idea!"

"Nice outfits," Mammoth grumbled.

"Who the heck are you stinkin' jerks?" Gizmo demanded.

"Oh us?" the green figure laughed, obviously a female, helmet tilting to the side. The purple stepped forward, striking perhaps the most generic hero pose.

"We're Team Possible!" in unison, the four figures raised their right fists into the air. "And we can do anything!"

That was so stupid.

Shego, not now!

As Gizmo attempted to hit the gas, the car abruptly died, thanks to a blast from a ray hidden within Drakken's coat. With a growl, he attempted to activate his backpack but it wouldn't respond. "Crud! Was that a friggin' electronic wave disruptor! You stinkin' jerk!"

Realizing that it was a lost cause, See More activated his eye, the one that allowed him to float. "Later guys, it's been fun!"

"Coward!" Mammoth called out, leaping out of the car with Hive Cadet.

Princess, I think they want to dance.

Then let's boogie!

I'm fairly certain we should be keeping this line clear for important conversations.

Shut up Drakken.

Yes Ma'am.

Uh, guys? They're moving.

Great. Shego, you take eyeball. R-, uh, I mean, Triple M, you take the one with the shield. Doc, finish off the kid. I've got big, bad, and ugly. "Team Possible, let's hit it!"

Lame.

Later!

It happened almost too fast for the former Hive Five members to register everything. They could barely focus on their own opponent. See More was barely one hundred feet in the air when Shego cut him off, a strong punch to the gut deflating his eyeball rather effectively. She caught him by the collar before he could land with a rather nasty splat on the pavement and just hovered midair.

"Seriously, how could anyone consider you idiots a threat?"

"You don't have to be mean about it."

"Obviously, you don't know who you're talking to, bug eye."

Kim and Ron had leapt down, landing with a flourish as their respective opponents charged. Kim enjoyed the feeling of fighting alongside her old partner though she wished it was Shego instead. She carefully kept the thought away from the front of her mind though. She didn't need the added distraction. Mammoth was enough to entertain her, for a while anyway. He managed to throw two punches, which she easily dodged, before her elbow found his solar plexus, knocking the wind of out him. He lowered his head just enough for Kim to bring down hand in a knife's edge on the back of his neck. The young man hit the ground with a satisfying thud. Kim turned, ready to save Ron's life, only to find him finishing off the Hive Cadet with a simian howl. Guess that meditation thing paid off, huh?

Heh, guess so. Shego watched from above, thinking. What did she ever see in him? I'm twice the partner- God I need a lobotomy.

"Crud!" Gizmo tried to run but even Drakken could catch the miniature terror without his precious toys to help him. "You'll never-" A simple flick of his wrist activated the Catatonia Inducer Cyborg and Drakken had managed to construct into the glove of his left hand.

Are we done here? Drakken called out, holding an unconscious Gizmo by his backpack.

Yeah, that should be it. Hope we stalled long enough for-

"Team Possible!" Great, gel boy's back in action. Shego landed next to the rest of the 'team' and deposited the still conscious See More next to his rather unconscious teammates.

"Move from that spot and I'm giving you a plasma enema, got it?" Shego growled before joining the other three. Four helmets looked up to where the Titans were arriving 'conveniently' late, Beastboy depositing Cyborg before regaining his human form and Starfire setting Robin down gingerly. Do we really need all this pretention? I thought Drakken put on a show but this is borderline ridiculous. "Thanks for covering for us, Possibles. We'll take it from here."

"Actually, Robin, we have a bit of a favor to ask," Kim's voice sounded steady and clear. But Shego knew better. She hates this as much as I do. But, appearances must be kept. "We need a place to crash for a little while. Mind if we hang out here?"

"Not at all. You are all welcomed as Honorary Titans." Whoop-dee-friggin'-doo. Tell me something I don't know, Chief. Robin produced four of the iconic Titans' communicators, handing them to each of the team. Attaching the yellow objects to their belts, each reached up to disengage their helmets. As a quick amendment, they'd borrowed some extra masks from Robin and wore them now, keeping their 'identities' secret. I still don't understand this. If the holo-ring can change my appearance, what does it matter? Whatever. "Welcome to Jump City, Team Possible."

"Good to be here, Robin," Kim gave one of her brightest smiles, and without looking Shego knew some guys, and probably girls too, were already star struck by the heroine. And I can't blame them. She's beautiful. Though it briefly occurred to her what she'd just thought, Shego decided to just deny it for now. She could deal with it later.

Once the little public display was over, all nine headed back to Titans' Tower to celebrate. By Shego's demand, they had pizza (as payback) and spent a good while just talking about stupid villains, heroes (in Drakken's case) and both (in Shego's case), not to mention dragging to light the brief instances where Ron was turned evil.

"I hate you, all," Ron mumbled, stalking away from the table. Everyone was too busy laughing at trying to picture him as an evil genius.

"S-someone should go after him, heh, make sure he's not taking it too hard," Kim managed, nervously taking another bite of her pizza. Not it. Another chair scooted back and Terra was standing.

"I'll, uh, go talk to him!" As the blonde disappeared to follow the angry boy, the conversation eventually died and the Titans started drifting off. Though it was early in the day, the strain of using her plasma for so long had Shego exhausted and she retired early. As she laid in her bed, staring at her ceiling once more, Shego reflected over the past few months. Why am I becoming so obsessive over her? It's not like… it can't be anything more than a mutual understanding or something like that. We're… not friends… but not really enemies either… What if it's more than that? The emerald woman tried hard to fall asleep but her thoughts refused to let her.

~At the Water's Edge~

Ron stared out across the bay, watching as lights came on the city escaped into the neon sunrise. He'd been staring across the water for hours, sitting on the biggest rock he could find. Less chance of falling into the water that way. Like he needed another reason for the others to tease him. "Who am I kidding? I'm not cut out to be a Titan."

"I used to say the same thing," a soft, feminine voice called out, catching the blonde's attention effectively. He twisted around to just stare at Terra, shock evident on his face.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" he stammered, a slight blush staining his cheeks. He assumed someone would come looking for him eventually, but he didn't expect Terra. Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, the young woman in question pushed off the tree she'd been leaning against and approached him, climbing the rock to sit next to Ron.

"For an hour or so. I know what it's like, to just watch the city from here, wonder where you fit in when everything seems to be already pieced together. I hated when people disturbed my thinking… but I loved that they cared enough to disturb me," her blue eyes were shimmering softly, gaze fixed on the city before them. Ron nodded and stared with her, watching as the nightlife of Jump City began anew.

"Thanks for coming. I just, ya know," Ron shrugged. Terra just laughed and shook her head.

"I'm not a mind reader, I can't know until you let me," she put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, causing Ron to meet those beautiful blue orbs. He thought about brushing it off, laughing about it, something that would keep her from being concerned about him, something that would make him look like he was tougher, stronger than he actually was. But in that moment, Ronald Stoppable lost the will to pretend, to lie, to put on the show he'd kept up for so long.

"I've been Kim's best friend for years. I've always known she was stronger than me, braver than me, everything I wanted to be but never could accomplish. Being around her though, it made me feel like I was stronger, braver, smarter, like she made me a better person. Every mission we went on, I was terrified. I hated it. I was so glad when she retired, but I could never bring myself to tell her," Ron ran a hand through his hair, letting out all his frustration. "Then she left for college and I lost my strength. I thought I was going to go back to being the pushover I had always been. But I didn't. I don't know why, but when things came up, rather than shrink away and hide like I did whenever Kim was around, I started to step up. I grew up, matured; I suddenly had ambition and drive. Without Kim as my shield, I learned to stand on my own, fight my own battles." Ron's muddy brown eyes held a severe sheen to them, reminding Terra of a mountain during a storm. "But I'm still just as terrified of this as I was back then. I'm not cut out to be a hero. I don't want to be a Titan."

Ron sensed the heavy finality of his words, knowing he could never, and didn't want, to take them back. But it was the truth. Ron didn't seek out danger, he didn't look for trouble, and he enjoyed an 'exciting time' being the definition of a day at the carnival. He wasn't a superhero. He wasn't even a hero. He was just a sidekick who'd gotten lucky several times and didn't need to push his luck somewhere people were perfectly willing to kill him. He was scared and he had every right to be, damnit!

"I guess it wouldn't help then if I said I look up to you, huh?" Terra's voice was shy and soft, to the point where Ron almost believed he hadn't actually heard anything. But the soft blush on his companion's cheeks ensured she'd spoken the words. Ron's incredulous stare was eventually taken as an inquiry and Terra obliged, keeping her eyes trained on the city. "It's like Raven said. There's more to the title than just fighting." Clearing her throat slightly, her blue eyes darted to his a moment before focusing on the horizon once more. "You're loyal to your friend, and brave beyond anything I can imagine, and you're strong to keep fighting, especially when you don't want to. That takes something more than a superpower. That's why… that's why I think you're a real Titan. More than I'll ever be."

"Hey, don't say that," Ron instantly interjected, turning to face her with concern evident in his eyes. "Look, I understand you made a mistake. I've made plenty, so has everyone in this Tower, this world! We all learn from them but we don't always try to fix them. What you're doing, learning to control your powers the right way, you didn't have to do that. You could've run away, like you did the first time. But you didn't. You turned to face your past and fight."

"Is that so much better though?" Terra's smile had fallen as had her hair, now slightly curtaining off her face. Ron reached forward and brushed her hair back so he could look her in the eyes.

"I think it is." He gave her his trademark goofy grin. "You're just as scared as I am and you're fighting just as hard. We're two of a kind, I guess."

"Maybe," she conceded with a slight smile on her lips. Ron returned her smile and leaned back, trying to think of something else to say. They sat in that comfortable silence for nearly half an hour, just watching the other, until Terra broke it. "Would you, uh, would you like to see what I can do?"

"Absolutely," Ron replied without hesitation. Terra's gaze faltered, her confidence shrinking the more she thought about it.

"Are you sure? I-I'm still not all that-"

"I believe in you," Ron stated, standing up and offering her his hand. "Part of being friends is trusting one another, right?"

Terra raised her hand to take his but stopped halfway through, not daring to meet his eyes. "How can you trust me?"

Ron just smiled. "How can I not?"

~Down in the Tower's Garage~

"But you do see where I'm coming from, right?" Drakken called out over his shoulder, barely taking his eyes off his latest gadget. If he managed to finish it, the device would allow for a stealth capability for both Kim and Shego's suits. "I mean, there's no way I can even compete! All I can do is this. At least you can blast people who tick you off."

"Drew, I think you're looking at this in the wrong context," Cyborg set down the holo-ring he was working on and turned to face the blue skinned man beside him. "Just because you're not good at hand-to-hand combat doesn't make you any less of a hero than the others."

"You don't get it though. It's like I'm always behind them in everything. Even villainy!" Drakken set down his work and groaned. "On the few occasions the bu- Stoppable or Possible turned evil, they always managed to make me look like an idiot! It's not just now, Vic, it's always been like this!"

Cyborg stayed silent a moment before decided on his words, choosing carefully. "I always thought I was the odd man out too. Not the same way though. I can be rebuilt, added to, taken away from, customized for whatever I might need to do. Half man and half machine, not really one or the other. I'll never be like Robin, or even BB. Yet, here I am." A metallic hand came to rest on Drakken's shoulder, a confident grin on the younger man's lips. "Thing is, you'll always be different. That doesn't mean you're not part of the team though. You took down Gizmo just like everyone else took down their targets!"

"Okay, take no offense, that kid was a joke," Drakken eyed his comrade critically. "I thought you said he was brilliant with a far advanced technological array."

"Hey, I'm half machine, I can't exactly carry around weapons that eliminate electronic impulses, okay?" Cyborg replied, crossing his arms. "Just because you're a little bit more versatile with your gadgets than I am doesn't mean you get to rub my face in it!"

Drakken stared at his friend for a long moment before breaking down in a long fit of laughter. After demanding to know why, the good doctor had to wipe an errant tear from his eye before answering. "I swear, I've said something similar to Shego a time or two. Now I know why she always teases me; the reaction is so fun!" Drakken sighed, returning to his work. "I guess I can take solace in the fact that I helped make those two stronger." He suddenly looked up. "I should tell them their suits have a self destruction function."

"But they don't."

"Oh, I know," Drakken replied, a smirk on his face. "I just thought it would be funny to see how they react."

"Either you're turning evil again or you're one mean practical joker," the metal teen returned to his own work.

"More of the second than the first. Plus, it would be an excellent beginning to the pay back those two have accumulated."

~Starfire's Room~

"I am sorry, friend, but I do not understand," the alien's bright green orbs conveyed all the confusion evident in her voice. "What exactly is it that confuses you so?"

"That's the thing, I'm not really sure," Kim stated, scratching her head nervously. She had thought the Titan to be the most approachable of the residents of Titans' Tower. However, she hadn't anticipated Starfire being unable to fully comprehend what was being asked. "I mean, I'm just… not sure of… well…"

"Kim, I am sorry to disappoint you, but perhaps you seek help from a more experienced source," she floated over to Kim, and broad smile on her face. "I am not well versed in the ways of Earth. You should talk to Robin; he is very knowledgeable and understanding."

"I guess it couldn't hurt…" Kim relented, biding the alien farewell as she stepped into the hallway. Pulling the yellow communicator off her belt, the redhead quickly located where the fearless leader had gone. "I can't believe this. What am I going to say?"

~Somewhere above the Bay~

Ron Stoppable, who had jumped from planes and repelled down cliff faces, watched in total awe as the water seemed to slightly ripple with their passing. The large boulder they had been sitting on was now skimming along the surface, controlled by the young woman currently wrapped up in his arms. He had quickly explained that, as they were on a large rock, they lacked the necessary seatbelts, so hanging on to Terra for dear life was his only option. Though she had blushed furiously, the Titan didn't complain, allowing Ron to wrap his arms around her waist. It was like riding a motorcycle, except less safety equipment and, strangely, he felt much safer.

"Well? What do ya think?" Terra called over her shoulder, having to speak loudly so the wind wouldn't snatch away her words.

"What do I think? This is amazing!" Ron cried, unintentionally squeezing Terra in the process. The boulder dipped slightly but she quickly recovered, rising high into the air, quickly gaining altitude as Ron continued to marvel at the experience. Once they were at a sufficient height, Terra stopped the climb, allowing them to just look around and drink in the beauty of the evening. "I can't believe you wouldn't want to do this every day."

"It's harder than it looks," Terra offered, smirking shyly. "The bay is pretty at night."

"It is," Ron replied. "You know, you remind me a little of this cheerleader I know. Funny too, her name was Tara."

"Oh? Was she your girlfriend?" Terra kept her tone surprisingly steady and was put a bit at ease by Ron's chuckle.

"No, I wish though. Turns out, she did have a crush on me for a while, but I was oblivious to it. Nothing came of it. But I always thought she was pretty," Ron summoned his courage, eager not to repeat past mistakes. "Terra, Cyborg said the new holo-rings should be done in a few days. When I get mine, would you, I dunno, wanna go… see a movie?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Terra replied, blushing furiously. She didn't dare face the young man behind her though the rock they were standing on did drop a few feet. "What, uh, what kinda movie do you have in mind?"

"Well, usually I'm more of a comedy or action guy, but, well, all things considered," Ron swallowed, slightly in disbelief at what he was about to say. "I think I'd like a… romance."

While part of her kept thinking 'oh God that was corny' another part of the young woman was swooning. She'd never been the girly girl type but she was fairly certain Ron was only saying that for the implication. They would probably wind up watching Killing Frenzy 3: Thirst For Blood or something like that. Terra couldn't help but feel like the world around her was falling as she thought about what would occur on this date. She was told she'd briefly dated Beastboy, but she didn't remember it and she couldn't very well remember what to do. Suddenly, it occurred to her that Ron was holding her tighter than he had been, and screaming. She wasn't sure why until she saw that they were, in fact, falling. Terra had lost her concentration, and therefore, their stable place in the sky.

"Oops!" Terra quickly regained control of the rock but couldn't quite stop their rapid decent. With a loud splash, the two teen found themselves floating in the middle of the bay, their former rock transport sinking to the depths below them. Blushing furiously, Terra kept her blue eyes focused on the water, not wanting to meet Ron's most likely ticked off gaze. "I-I'm so sorry, I-"

"Why are you sorry?" Ron started laughing, shaking his head and sending drops of water all over. "It's been a while since I went swimming anyway." Terra looked up, expecting sarcasm or annoyance, but was met with a goofy grin. "Does this mean I get to say I 'rocked your world'?" The comment earned him a laugh from the blonde floating in front of him.

"Didn't that scare you?"

"Well, yeah, but there aren't any alligators here, right? Definite improvement over the last few times I've been near water."

"Oh?" Terra laughed, starting to swim for the Tower. "There are sharks, though."

"Say what?" Ron visibly blanched, then starting swimming like crazy for the shore of the Tower. Terra only laughed. Strange, what fate had in store for the Titans.

~The Tower Training Room~

"I don't see- ugh- where this is- hn- going," Robin hadn't bothered stopping his training simulation, listening to Kim's question while dodging blows from his robotic enemies. "If there's- ugh- nothing wrong then- huh- what's the problem?"

"That's just it, Robin, I'm not sure!" Kim hid her face in her hands a moment, trying to sort through what she'd been trying to ask. "I just don't know any more and I'm not sure if it's because I know it's right or afraid it's wrong!"

"Listen, Kim," Robin landed a well placed blow to one of his targets, simultaneously knocking the other to the ground as the first fell, disabled. "I've learned that grey areas exist in our line of work. What you have to decide is whether or not it's grey because it might be wrong on a moral level or- grah- just a large amount of uncertainty attached to it!" Robin had been nearly caught by the second of his attackers but slipped away. "Maybe you should- hn- talk to Raven. She's better at this sort of- huh- stuff!"

"Yeah, alright, I'll go find Raven," Kim sighed, running a hand through her hair. She was certain she'd have found the answer by now if she only knew the question! In defeat, the teen heroine went off in search of yet another source of wisdom.

~Beastboy's Room~

"Uh, say what?" the changling gave Shego a questioning look, seating on top of his bunk bed. Oh this is going to take forever.

"Look, we're green, so we've probably had some of the same life experiences, right?" Shego's exasperation was showing quite plainly in her tone, causing Beastboy to slump slightly on the bed. "Now, what I'm asking is, do you think you could live without being a superhero? Could you live as just a regular person?" Here goes… "Could you give it all up?"

"Well, gee, I think so. I mean, I wouldn't want to do it alone. I like my friends, even Jinx, and I wouldn't give that up for the world. But could I stop being a hero? Yeah, no problem," a single fang showed in his smile. "Anything else you want to know?"

"… No, that's it," Shego turned, ready to leave the messy living space.

"Hey, that's not cool," Beastboy growled, giving her a severe look when she turned to face him. "I don't lie to you; you shouldn't lie to me."

"Wha-, who says I'm-" Damnit! Is he a mindreader too?

"Pheromones, Shego. I can smell them easily and, despite the changes to your biology, you're just as Human as almost everyone in this Tower." Great, he can smell deceit. Wonderful. "I don't know what you're trying to ask me, but it isn't working. Maybe you should talk to someone you're more comfortable with."

"Like who?" Shego snapped, backing towards the door. Last thing I need is a ticked off triceratops trying to kill me. Beastboy scratched his chin before snapping.

"Like, maybe, Jinx, who could probably relate on more than a we-have-the-same-skin-color basis?" Actually, he has a valid point.

"I'll consider it." Instead of getting the reactions she was used to, Shego was given a cocky grin from the changling.

"Right. Whatever you say, Shego." With one foot out into the hallway, the emerald former villainess shot the young man a vicious look.

"Damn straight."

~Back to the Garage~

"That's weird," Cyborg mumbled, though not loud enough for Drakken to hear. Instead, the metal teen gave a more audible reply. "You don't say? That's a good sign; Raven usually doesn't like talking to people."

"She seemed absolutely charming when I was talking to her," Drakken prattled on, summarizing the conversation. "And you wouldn't believe this, but Kim actually had the gall to think you Titans were up to something! Absolutely rude, if you ask me."

"Yeah…" Cyborg stared at the new holo-ring. "Why would Kim think something was up?"

"Oh, Com was asking her questions too, not quite sure what about, but I'm sure she'd just overreacting."

"Huh, yeah, you're right," Cyborg stealthily opened his arm computer and typed in a few things before closing it again. "She's probably just high strung because of the current situation. Trust me, I don't know of any Titan that would try to do you guys harm."

~The Common Room~

"You seriously gave up a chance to hang with the greatest supervillains of this world for that?" Shego hiked her thumb towards the other side of the room, where Kid Flash was trying his damndest to beat some videa game or other. Jinx sighed and nodded, a wistful smile on her lips.

"In retrospect, the best decision by far, but at the moment, it was either become someone's pawn, disrespected and expendable, or stand up for myself. Betraying Rouge was more about earning respect than about any romantic feelings I had for Wally."

"They didn't hurt though!" the young man called from the couch, still focusing most of his attention on the screen. Jinx rolled her eyes, still smiling. Yeah, I know how you feel.

"Anyway, I didn't make the choice to go good until a while after. Really, the only difference I can see between the two is that one is all about action and the other, reaction. Bad guys jump, good guys jump too. I mean, yeah, not worrying about stupid laws and all that is fun but it comes at a cost," Jinx motioned around the room. "In the Hive Academy, I never felt as welcomed as I do here. Villains…"

"Can always betray you," Shego finished for her, a sad smile on her lips. That's right, villains barely trust other villains, so how could a hero trust one? "Do they think you'll betray them?"

"No," Jinx replied simply, looking to her boyfriend seated on the couch. "They know if I do anything bad, he'll make me regret it. It's a funny thing, ya know? I've come to trust him, rely on him, so much that, if I were to lose that, I'd be lost." Shego bit her tongue. Yeah, I know exactly what you mean. The purple tinged teen just shrugged. "Guess that's what they call 'commitment'."

~Roof of Titans' Tower~

"Should we help them?" Kim's concern was obvious, watching the two figures making their way slowly to their shore. Raven sighed and shook her head.

"I think they'd prefer thinking no one was watching when that happened," Raven voice still held too little inflection for Kim's liking. "They lack confidence. Once they have sufficient confidence within, they will be able to master their powers. Undermining that will only prolong their discomfort with being Titans." Violet eyes glanced Kim's way, surprisingly vibrant in the moon light. "I'm surprised you are taking this so well."

"I'm happy for him," Kim replied truthfully, smiling at the two figures far below. They'd nearly made it back to the shore, stopping now and then for rest before Ron's fear would propel him forward, Terra following. "I was worried I might've really messed him up. It's good to see him flirting."

"I see," Raven mulled it over a second before finishing her thought. "So she's not your type?"

"No, she's cute, don't get me wrong, but I just don't care much for blondes," Kim sighed, propping her chin in her hand. "I know it's superficial but it's true." Raven just stared down at the water, unsure if she'd just heard correctly. After a moment of silence, Kim spoke, a hint of amusement to her tone. "You thought I was going to deny it, didn't you?"

"Well, yes, I did," Raven replied, not bothering to feign some sort of superiority or arrogance. She was genuinely surprised. "I didn't know you were open about your sexuality. Com said you'd gotten upset when-"

"That was completely different," Kim snapped, her tone instantly softening as she continued. "What Com was suggesting just… irked me."

"What, exactly, was it that 'irked' you?" Kim thought a long moment, trying to organize her thoughts, the same ones that had been keeping her up the past few nights. Finally, she decided that it was now or never.

"First, she tried saying Shego was a coward. That's not true, I've seen what she can do, she knows exactly what she wants and makes sure it happens, she doesn't let anyone stand in her way. She's fearless and courageous and I didn't appreciate Com implying otherwise," Kim took and a breath, trying to keep her anger from rising once more. "Then she tried implying that Shego was just using me as a clever excuse to save the world, play the hero while conveniently staying out of the spotlight. Again, like she's some sort of coward. It was highly insulting."

"But not to you," Raven turned her violet eyes on the young redhead. "What exactly are your feelings for Shego? Is she just your enemy, your rival, or something else altogether?"

They were still sitting at the edge of the roof, the same spot Kim had nearly collided into earlier that day. It was a beautiful night and Kim had originally come here to sort out her own feelings but found Raven meditating and chose to talk through the confliction within her. Only now it seemed like the words just would not form. They sat in silence for a while, just watching the waves, one thinking of what to say, the other preparing to reply.

"She's my other half," Kim was nearly whispering, tears beginning to sting her eyes. "I know her better than anyone, sometimes I think better than myself, and I know she knows me the same way. Every time we fight, there's no surprise, from almost that first moment we know the fight will end. One way or another, it will end, and I always get the feeling like that's the part we can't stand the most. It doesn't even matter who wins. For those moments when we're locked together, wrestling for dominance, fighting for control, a mix of thrill and necessity and passion, it's what I imagine…" Kim suddenly stopped, a slight blush staining her cheeks. While she was being rather open about her sexuality, which she had learned during her brief stint at college, Kim Possible was still unsure if she should be speaking so candidly about the subject itself. Luckily, Raven understood and gave her a bigger smile than the redhead had ever seen grace those lips. She couldn't help but feel reassured and decided to continue, glad to have someone to confide in after so long. "She's my challenge, my strength and weakness, and the worst part is I'm just a fight to her. I know we see each other as equals, though she'll never admit that out loud, but she doesn't see me as a potential… anything. She just sees her rival. Always will." Without warning the redhead suddenly deflated. "That's what I've been struggling with, Raven. It's been driving me crazy, because I don't like that she's a villain, the stealing and such, but that's the only reason I know her, so how can I forgive her past wrong and disapprove of future ones? It's hypocritical! Yeah, she's playing the superhero now, and I love working with her, but once we're back in Middleton, it goes back to the old way. She planned that party for me I would go back to being a hero. That's why Com got under my skin. 'There is no Shego without Kim Possible.'" She did her best impersonation, hoping the anger would keep the rest of her emotions in check. Kim suddenly stood up, nearly falling over the edge in the process but retaining her balance while her companion remained seated. "I-I've been thinking about it every day. For now, here, while we're on the same team, it wouldn't be a problem to tell her how I feel. But once we go back- and we will go back, no matter what you believe your vision means- whatever we have will be over. Shego doesn't want to be a hero and I can't be a villain. Attempting a relationship while on different sides would be a conflict of interest and that could be exploited by either side, or worse, both sides."

"So this is more of a moral quandary for you rather than an emotional one?" the smallest trace of doubt in her tone made what should've been a statement a question instead. Kim nodded, noting in the back of her mind that Ron and Terra had made it ashore, two small dots far, far below. "And here I thought you needed help getting out of the closet."

"Nah. I was going to tell them over break, you know. My parents, the tweebs, Ron, Monique; Wade already knows but that's because I accidently rolled onto my Kimmunicator one night and, well…" Raven was expecting a blush, and while she was right with that, the wistful smile that came with it did surprise her. "Let's just say, the picture was worth more than a thousand words."

"So what are you going to do?" Raven levitated so that she and Kim were eye level, bright green meeting somber violet. "The way I see it, you have two paths ahead of you. One, you tell Shego how you feel and go from there. Two, you keep it to yourself and never know what could have been."

For a long moment, neither faltered, just staring at each other, until finally Kim broke and turned towards the roof access door. "I'll take option two. If we try to be people we aren't, it'll destroy us both. Even if all I'll ever be is her rival, it's better than being nothing at all. I can't tell Shego how I feel."

"I thought you could do anything?" Whether it was meant to be mocking or a legitimate concern that she was making the wrong decision, Kim couldn't be sure. And she had to convince herself that she didn't care.

~Back to the Common Room~

"Do we even want to know?" Kid Flash asked, staring rather intently at the two soaked blondes entering through the main door. Jinx held the same curious expression but with the added hint of amusement. Ron and Terra exchanged a look.

"What, you've never been skinny dipping before?" Ron tried to play it off, heading towards his room with a small grin.

"Well, yeah, but don't you take your clothes off to go skinny dipping?" Kid Flash cocked his head to the side while Jinx rolled her eyes. Terra just dashed past Ron out of the room, a furious blush covering her face. Ron, who had temporarily forgotten that little detail, shrugged and just went with it.

"Maybe in your world. We play by different rules in Middleton."

"Really?"

"Yup." Ron exited the room, leaving a confused Kid Flash as Jinx busted out laughing.

~Beastboy's Room~

"Well, buddy, she's in some serious denial. I don't know what is going on in her head," Beastboy sighed, clicking to the next page on his computer screen. "How about this one?"

Rufus looked at the picture, tilted his head, squinted, then tried the other side, and finally gave out a negative squeak. Beastboy nodded, moving on to the next picture of a naked mole rat for sale at a local pet store.

"Okay, how about- nevermind, this one is male… unless," the green Titan raised a brow, looking down at the naked mole rat. Rufus gave an indignant growl, glaring at Beastboy. "Hey, you don't have to be so rude, you know. Closed mindedness is not very becoming." Rufus rolled his eyes and motioned for Beastboy to cycle to the next picture. "I still don't understand why you don't simply do this in your room if you're going to shoot down all my advice."

Rufus scratched behind his head and looked away, offering a muttered reply. His Human(ish) friend just shook his head.

"You are mature by animal standards, completely capable of making your own decisions. Just because Ron is your 'father' figure, and I am using this term very loosely, I'll have you know, doesn't mean you should pull the standard teenager option of keeping your love life hidden until absolutely necessary. I'm sure Ron would approve of you looking for a mate, or at the very least dating around." Rufus just stared at Beastboy until he was done, then gave a quick reply, which earned him a sigh. "Yes, I'm done now. I swear, between the five of you, there has to be a lot of awards from theatre." Rufus gave him a questioning look. "You know, for all the drama you guys insist on having."

~Common Room, a few hours later~

"I hate the night shift," Com grumbled, monitoring the alarm system Cyborg and Robin had designed, keeping her eyes trained for any sign of disturbance within the city. The program monitored police frequencies, radio frequencies, emergency phone lines, the logging database from all hospitals, police stations, and fire departments, not to mention several miscellaneous alarm systems spread out over the city, and, of course, the security system for Titans' Tower and access codes for the communicators. Needless to say, staring at the lines of data gave the super soldier a rather intense headache. As she sat back, Commando allowed her mind to drift slightly until it caught onto a particularly odd train of thought. As she followed the train, making sure to take in the 'scenery' of the issue, her eyes caught a peculiar line of data streaming across the screen. "Well, there are some benefits to this duty."

With a flick of her wrist, Com activated a communicator alarm.

*~Random Location within Jump City~*

Damnit! Where the Hell did they go? Shego growled, flying around a corner and searching for her quarry. She couldn't remember details about the bank robbery they were sent to investigate, mostly due to the fact she'd been roused from her sound slumber by that blasted communicator Robin had issued her, but she knew without question whom she was looking for even if she didn't know the names. They couldn't have gotten that far! I just know it! Damnit! I want to go back to sleep! Shego pulled a quick turn and zipped down an alleyway, using all the power she had to maneuver quickly through the maze of alleys.

"Shego!" a familiar voice called out, though it sounded garbled and distorted. Kimmie? Where is she? Shego was about to open her mouth when she spotted a flare of red around the corner, seemingly sucked into an abandoned building. Without a second thought, the emerald woman landed a few feet away and charged in, barreling into the door and busting it open. Oddly enough, she felt no pain. Must be the upgrades. Gotta love a real super suit.

"Shego!" Kim called again, still sounding distorted but also more panicked than before. What's got her worried? Damnit, Princess, you better be alright! Shego charged down a corridor, following the sound of Kim's voice, briefly wondering where the rest of the Titans were but suddenly not caring. There was a door at the end of the hallway, the only other door she'd seen since entering the building. Running as fast as she could, Shego jumped and full on drop kicked the door, managing to go straight through it, sending splinters of wood everywhere. Oh yes, I love this suit!

But whatever little personal victory or happiness she might've felt at the thought suddenly melted away. Shego stared in horror, her eyes unable to look away. Kim was there, on the ground, bright red hair fanned around her, bright green eyes fully open… but unseeing as the pool of blood grew larger. On unsteady legs, Shego approached the fallen hero, trying to pinpoint the wound that had taken her Princess away, but there was nothing she could see beyond those lifeless green eyes. Once she got close enough, Shego dropped to the ground and gathered her fallen Princess up in her arms, hugging the now deceased woman to her chest. The sorrow in Shego's chest was unbearable but she couldn't find the words to scream in anger and frustration or moan in despair. She couldn't even find the ability to cry. She was lost and empty and hollow. Her Kimmie was gone.

"Shego!" Shego didn't bother turning around; she knew Robin's voice by now, no matter how distorted it was. She didn't look up, not even after he walked around to in front of her. Starfire was with him. Go away. Let me grieve. But they didn't leave. Instead, Starfire bent over and pulled Kim away from Shego while Robin took hold of her wrists. Before she could process it, the mighty former villainess was in handcuffs. Robin spoke again, though this time his voice lacked the distortion she'd heard earlier. "You are under arrest for the murder of Kimberly Ann Possible."

No. No! NO! Shego wanted to voice her protest, to light up her plasma and torch the entire city until she found whoever took away her Pumpkin, but she felt herself dragged away, back through the door, her eyes unable to leave the sight of the dead Kim Possible, eyes still wide open, limp and empty in Starfire's arms. No! She can't be dead! She trusted me! I WAS SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HER! NO!

~Shego's room~

"NO!" Shego sat bolt upright in her bed, screaming as loud as her lungs allowed, beads of cold sweat covering her body. Out of pure panic, Shego threw the covers back and leapt out of bed, running out the door and down the hall to Kim's door. She quickly keyed the door open, not even surprised the door hadn't been locked properly, and dashed into the room. Suddenly, her breath caught in her throat as tears threatened to fall for there, lying peacefully asleep in her pink and purple bed, was Kim Possible. She's alive… Oh thank God she's alive! Shego crept back out of the room and leaned against the closed door, sighing almost happily. Must've been a nightmare. Oh God, what a terrible dream! Shego eventually made it back to her room, taking the time to wipe away the irrational tears that had been just waiting to fall. Damnit, what the Hell is wrong with me? Once back into the supposed safety of her room, the emerald woman started to sit down on her bed when her communicator started beeping. After examining it a moment, she noticed that it functioned a lot like a cell phone, indicating she'd missed an alert already. That must've been what triggered that damn nightmare. Piece of shit! Growling about the infernal device, and rather put off from sleeping, Shego stormed her way down to the kitchen.

"Can't sleep?" a downright jovial tone called out from one of the computers in the common room, earning Shego's misplaced wrath.

"Yeah, what of it?" she snapped, rounding to see Com sitting rather comfortably with a mug of something hot in her hand. The super soldier glanced away from the computer screen and looked Shego in the eye, then let her gaze travel the full course of the emerald woman's body before returning to enraged emerald orbs, the broadest grin on her face.

"Uh, you should consider getting a robe or some jammies once Cy finishes your holo-ring. I'm sure it will save the guys from getting, well, blasted to Kingdom Come… or going there on their own." While Com laughed behind her mug, Shego took the time to glance down and remember what she was wearing. Oh, right… bra and panties. Wonderful. "For what it's worth, you are quite the stunner."

"Save your breath, soldier boy, I'm taken." I am? When did that happen and how come I'm just now finding out! Com seemed to pick up on the internal confliction and just shrugged.

"Hey, who you love is your business, I was just giving out a compliment."

"Noted. Now, can you tell me why this thing says I have a missed alert?" Shego tossed the communicator over to the Titan, who pretended to look it over.

"Oh, must be the bug. We have this guy who tries to hack the system every now and again; he might've tried to mess with your communicator thinking to trick you or something. Trust me, when we get called out, there's no sleeping through it," Com tossed it back to Shego, who had strategically placed the counter between them, blocking most of the emerald beauty's body from the soldier's view. "I hope it didn't wake you."

"Well, it gave me the worst nightmare of my life which did wake me up, so there's that," Shego grumbled, sighing as she ran her hands through her hair. "What time is it?"

"Uh, zero-four-hundred."

"Which for normal people is…?"

"Four in the morning." That explains why I feel like shit! But after that dream… I don't know if I want to go back to sleep. I need something to take my mind off this…

"Thirsty?" Com's voice startled Shego out of her reverie. Somehow, the soldier had managed to make her way to the counter without Shego noticing. Normally, that would've ticked off the former villainess but, at the moment, there were worst things on her mind, things she desperately wanted to not think about. It was then that she noticed what Com was offering her: a camo colored flask. While she accepted the token, Shego eyed her companion warily as she took a hearty sip.

"Drinking on the job? And here I thought you were part of the Teen Titans?" she took another generous sip, savoring the taste on her tongue. Oh, God, it's been a while since I've had straight Vodka. Delicious though. Commando laughed with a shrug.

"For the record, I haven't been drinking anything except some hot chocolate," Com frowned. "Or, 'cocoa moo' as Doc insists. Such a strange man."

"Oh, you don't know the half of it!" Shego replied, noticing how the alcohol was hitting her quicker and harder than she anticipated. Has it really been so long? I don't want to look like a novice in front of someone who probably isn't even old enough to drink.

"What's on your mind?" the question temporarily caught Shego off guard and she answered truthfully, seeing no harm in it.

"I was trying to figure out if you're old enough to be drinking."

"Not what I meant," the other countered, surprising Shego. "Your dream, or nightmare rather, is still there. I can see it in your eyes. And you've been distracted lately. Are the two connected?"

"Perhaps," Shego shrugged, wanting to avoid the conversation. But, if she wants to play this little game... "Seems to me like you are digging for something."

"We all are," there was no hint of dishonesty in her tone. This might be easier than I thought. "Everyone is searching for something, always looking for that which they are unsure of or question. In specific, my digging involves… well, how about we just wrap up my investigation right now?"

"Oh?" Shego eyed the woman suspiciously. She still hasn't stated her age... A master of evasion. "What would that entail?"

"Well, I could ask a few point blank questions and probably upset you or we could talk it out and you'll end up giving me the information without even noticing it."

"Is that the tactic you used on Kim?" Shego received a nod and a smile from Com, taking another swig of the liquor herself. Alright, well, at least if she's point blank, I'll know exactly what she's digging for, and why. "Then let's go with option one."

"Did Hego tell you that you couldn't be a hero if you were a lesbian or did he say that lesbians couldn't be heroes?" Doesn't get any blunter than that. Shego tried to force her mouth to work but the words wouldn't come. They stood there in silence for a while, watching each other from opposing sides of the counter, Shego wanting to ask how the Titan had known and wanting to also avoid answering the question. "It's not like you're subtle about it, Shego."

"Maybe not in this world," Shego sighed in defeat. Might as well. "Hego said that heroes were straight, period. He's a stubborn jerk when he wants to be, got his morality code from a cracker jack box. How is this important?"

"Everything is important, to someone. What you want to know is, how is it relevant, and the answer is rather simple," Com gave her the strangest smile. "What was her name?"

"Wha-? Who?" Shego stammered, cursing having any of the alcohol. She wasn't ready for this.

"Don't be coy, Shego. You're a beautiful young woman, intense emerald eyes, gorgeous ebony hair, not to mention a killer body, I'm sure you were as beautiful when you were younger. Your brother had to find out some way. I assume it was because you had a girlfriend," Com shifted, taking her eyes off Shego and looking to her hot chocolate instead. Without those hazel eyes, Shego felt a slight weight lift off her, like she wasn't being interrogated anymore. "It's not a crime, you know. At least, it isn't in Jump City. Of course, I'm talking about marriage, but you understand."

"You know, to be honest, I can't tell you her name," Shego suddenly spoke, a soft sadness to her tone. "She went by 'Carni Vale', had a costume like a jester and used stupid gimmicks based off carnival rides and such. When I say Go City villains are on the deprived side of fashion and creativity, I'm not kidding. We were fighting her and she'd taken out my brothers without breaking a sweat. I had her pinned against the wall, should've found a way to finish her, but all I could think of was how beautiful her eyes were. She took advantage, got away, and Hego never let me live it down. He said I must've liked evil, that's why I let her go. I tried to explain that I got caught up in the moment. He wouldn't, absolutely refused, to understand. He said that either I started dating nice superhero boys or I quit the team," Shego spat the last part. "His pride won't let him admit he drove me away. He told my other brothers I just up and left. I know the Wegos don't believe him and Mego is skeptical, at best, but Hego has convinced himself that I left because I wanted to be evil, not because I wanted to date other girls."

"Do you mind if I call him an ass?"

"Not at all."

"Good. Shego, Hego is an ass."

"Why do you Titans insist on telling me things I already know?" Shego smirked, feeling slightly better now that she'd finally told someone. For years she'd kept it a secret, dated guys every now and again, even let Junior hit on her when they worked together, all for appearances. She thought that, if she was evil and straight, her brother would feel like an idiot. That backfired in my face. "Although, you can let me in on how you knew."

"What, that you're homo?" Com's bluntness was starting to test Shego's nerves. "Honestly, just a logical guess. You had oppressive brothers, or rather brother, you have only been in the employ of male supervillains, and have avoided working with females at all costs. In fact, the only female you work with is Kim Possible, a young cheerlead who's ho-"

"Finish that sentence and I will nuke you here and now," Shego growled, one hand lighting up with green plasma to accent her point. Con instantly backed off; the heat from her ungloved hand was far worse than anything the super soldier felt safe around.

"My point stands: you are a true professional and keep your work and your personal life separate. So, it only would make sense that you have tastes for less conventional fare," Con gave her a smug smile, something dancing in those hazel eyes that put Shego on edge. She thinks she has something on me… not good. "I just wonder. If everyone in the Tower knows it-"

"How could everyone possibly know it?" Shego countered. I don't like where she's going with this. Com just laughed.

"C'mon, you wear green and black all the time, and Kim's first mission outfit was what? Black shirt with green cargo pants? That's cute, you two match! Then, she changes her look, to black cargo pants and a purple top?" Com pointed towards the rooms section of the Tower. "Beastboy is always associated with green and Raven, oddly enough, is most often associated with purple. It just so happens that you two, who spend so much time together, and who fight as constantly, if not in the same manner, as BB and Rae did, are wearing their colors, with black to tie you two together? Who are you two trying to kid?"

I really hate this woman. Shego remained silent, not wanting to entertain the stupid, youthful fantasies of 'destiny' or 'fate' or some such nonsense. It would just make her weaker and she was weak enough with Kim constantly around. Com took the silence as her cue to continue.

"Anyway, do you think Kimmie knows? There's no rule about not having late night visitors, you know. Cheerleader, mighty limber, not to mention they always know how to-"

Without warning, Com was bouncing across the common room floor, a small amount of her head sporting a nasty burn. Thankfully, she'd managed to duck the majority of Shego's blow, though the residual heat had been enough to wound. Though she'd been taken off guard, Commando gained a fighter's stance when she rolled to her feet, ready for the next attack. Instead, she caught sight as Shego headed back to her quarters. At the door, the emerald woman gave her the most intense glare and grated out the words.

"I am the only person to call her that. And if you ever so much as think about my Kimmie in those terms again, I will end you."

Once Shego had left, Com relaxed, a smile on her lips as she went and retrieved her flask, which still held a fair amount of liquid to it. "Well, at least she cares." The soldier laughed and took a small sip, returning to the computer and deleting the strings that indicated she'd activated Shego's communicator in the middle of the night as well as the footage of the conversation and attack. After all, this was done off the record. No reason the other Titans should know. She knew Shego wouldn't mention it and by the time the rest of the Titans showed up for breakfast, her slight injury would be completely healed. "I wonder where this path will lead us. To Salvation… or Destruction?"

~Hallway, Outside Kim's Room~

Don't delude yourself. She isn't 'yours' any more than you are 'hers'. You aren't taken. You're just an out-of-luck ex-hero, turned villain, back to hero, waiting for the day you go back to being the nobody she left behind. The closest you'll ever get to her is this. Friend. Teammate. And nothing more. Shego turned down the hall and made her way to her room, easing under the covers with a heavy heart. I bet this is how the buffoon feels. So close but so far away.

Continued in Chapter 5: Distress Call from Titans' East (or Save Me From Myself!)

Author's Note: Alright, so I got this posted earlier than I said. The reason I put such a late date was because I had hit a roadblock and couldn't seem to work around it. All thanks goes to Malacoda who reminded me of what I think when I read other KiGo where the biggest emotional issue Kim and Shego face is about their sexuality. Personally, I don't think that would bother them so much. For Kim, I really think she'd be more concerned with the morality of loving her arch enemy. For Shego, it's more about trusting someone when she knows she, herself, isn't the poster child for honesty. That's how I think it would go, anyway, and it's my story, so… *wicked grin* Hope I didn't disappoint. At the rate I'm going, the next chapter will probably be split up, (sorry they keep getting longer) but it should be under way soon. I will be occupied most of the weekend so no clue yet as to when the next chapter will be posted.