I admit, this took me a lot more work than I expected. I had this chapter all planned out, almost from the time I wrote down the first word, but when it came time to put it on data... I needed to revise it twice before I was even somewhat happy with it and even now, I'm not sure it has everything I want.

Oh, well, I'll let you decide on that. Some of the questions I've been asked in reviews should start becoming apparent after this. Enjoy!

XXXXXXXXXXX

Kim Possible was afraid of the dark. Oh, not terrified, no, but being in a dark place for a long period of time still set her nerves on edge even under optimal circumstances. Had one of her arch-foes known of her weakness, things could have gone very differently for her.

When she was a little girl, on the other hand, it was a different matter. Even a night-light was not sufficient to suppress her terror; Kim needed every light on in the house to feel safe enough to sleep. It was a fact that caused the rest of her family many sleepless nights. When Ron had found out, in spite of being afraid himself, he agreed to stay with her until she went to sleep.

The fear she felt then was nothing compared to the terror Kim was experiencing now as she wondered blindly from corridor to corridor, desperately trying to find the exit. Unlike when she was little, she knew there were monsters running through these hallways, hunting her searching for her.

I won't go back! I won't! Kim mentally screamed, sweat covering her forehead. She was nearly blind, wishing that she had her night vision goggles. Under ordinary circumstances, she would simply ask Wade to download a map of the facility in order to guide her, but at the present time, that was simply not an option.

She set her ear onto the ground to listen for any approaching henchmen or robots. Kim had yet to be spotted, so she dared hope that her escape had gone unnoticed, but the rapidly eroding logical part of her mind stated that it was highly unlikely to say the least. Considering his intelligence, he would certainly have set one.

A sound echoed through the complex, making her gasp in fear. She held her breath, fingernails digging into her palms hard enough to draw blood. Kim pressed herself against the wall, as if to make herself a smaller target. Adrenaline poured through her body as she debated whether to charge or flee. She chose the latter. Leaping nearly ten feet into the air, nearly bashing her head on the ceiling, Kim went down, ready to kick into oblivion whatever awaited her,

Only to find that her mind had simply been playing tricks on her. There was nothing there. "Come on, get it together!" She whispered to herself. I believe in you, KP. You always come through. Ron's voice echoed through her head. It slowed her breathing a little, although she was still highly on edge.

Realizing that this place was a maze and she did not know what was luring inside the building, Kim decided to move more cautiously. She couldn't afford to make any more mistakes, not now. When she headed to another corner, Kim ducked and looked around carefully, not charging in the way she had previously. You being careful? Wow, means the end of the world is coming! Ron laughed, and even though she was in a life and death situation, she couldn't help but smile at that. It sounded like something Ron would say if he was here.

As time went on, however, it became more and more difficult to keep her emotions under control. Kim was constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering when the attack was going to come. Shadow can't have missed her escape attempt, so why had she not seen him yet? There was also the bigger problem of how she was going to be able to defeat him. Her only hope was to try and escape undetected, but she had the ominous feeling that she was running around in circles.

Kim screamed in fear as a cord wrapped around her ankle, sending her to the floor. A light shone on her, blinding her eyes, which were not used to such brightness. Three robots had arrived on the scene, one of which was pulling her, bit by bit, towards it. Her fingernails scraped the metal, as Kim tried to find something to hold onto, a handle, a crease, anything to stop her movement.

The remaining two robots flanked her and grabbed each of her arms, hauling her into the air. Her heart felt like it was about to burst when they began to walk in the other direction. Kim knew where they were going to take her, and her cell was the optimistic scenario. Her hands began to shake as she started breathing uncontrollably. No matter how deep her breaths were, Kim could not give enough oxygen.

She struggled against their grip, but with three of them holding her body, it was insufficient to break free. Now panic was truly beginning to set him, but at the same time, Kim's strength began to leave her. The cord holding her leg was too strong to break free, even if the other robots would have let her go. And the light... the light shining directly into her face was making it impossible to see.

It might have been seconds, but it felt more like hours as she was set back into her cell, curling up into a ball. Her palms were moist, her breathing ragged. Kim's chest felt like it was about to burst.

However, when the doors began to close, Kim felt new life within her, born out of her desperation. She sprung faster than she had ever moved in her life, straining with all her might to keep the doors open long enough for her to make a second attempt. She was too terrified of what Shadow would do to her inside for her to escape her fate without protest.

Either the doors were weaker or she was stronger than she ever imagined because Kim held them for crucial seconds as she rolled out. Had she been fully aware, she would be questioning why the robots she had trapped there were no longer around, but her brain wasn't functioning anymore. Now she was working on pure instinct.

The cord swung out, but she refused to be caught again. Kim grabbed the cord and used it to propel herself. She punched the center robot again and again, her hands bloodied. Anyone else would have had their knuckles broken from such a fierce attack, but Kim refused to stop. Adrenaline was kicking into overtime as she swung it around and slammed it into the wall, evading attempts from the other two to corner her.

She ducked to the ground, swinging her feet and wrapping them around the second robot's neck, attempting to twist its head off. The third charged straight into its companion, Kim leaping away just in time, doing a front flip off the wall and into an offensive crouch, ready to face the final one. It moved in, its arms extending, intending to restrict her mobility, which was currently her greatest asset.

"No! No! Never!" Kim screamed, grabbing both of the arms and wrapping them into a knot. With the strongest and fastest roundhouse kick she launched in her entire life, she took off the robot's head, sending it flying at least a dozen feet. Her opponent was defeated, but she wouldn't stop, couldn't stop, until it was nothing but wires and scrap underneath her feet.

As soon as the battle was done, Kim began to feel woozy and vomited on the floor. Her emotions were on a roller-coaster ride between desperate, determined, depressed, angry, hopeful, and confused all at the same time. It simply became too much for her to hold back.

"Can't stay here long; he's surely got others." Kim grabbed the light from the ruined machine, which was amazingly still functional and walked through the corridors, grabbing a dozen scraps of metal to help assist her in finding her way around. The light may have told her enemies precisely where she was, but Kim refused to fight in the dark any longer, oblivious to any attack until it came.

Time was meaningless in this place. Eventually, though wits and sheer blind luck, she wondered into a large room, vaguely making out a doorway. There was a faint glimmer of light behind it and her hope began to grow once again. That's the door! Kim thought. Just a little more and I'll be free!

Only to be interrupted by a sharp pain in the back, almost enough to send her staggering. Kim immediately spun around, ready for combat, but whatever robot it was now was nowhere to be found. "It's about time you arrived, Kimberly." Shadow's voice echoed. "For a moment there, I thought you weren't going to show up at all. Now the games can truly begin."

"Show yourself!" She screamed, moving from one end of the room to the other, eyes darting around, trying to find her enemy. How could I have been so stupid?! Kim berated herself. She had walked straight into a trap. Shadow knew from the outset that she intended to break out and was ready.

"You know, if you want to be a more formidable foe, perhaps you should learn to adapt." Shadow suggested, the echoes making it impossible to pinpoint him. "I know you, Kimberly. I knew that as soon as you figured out an opportunity, you'd rush out to escape, regardless of any possible consequences."

Kim felt herself lifted up, her hands held behind her back, and tossed a dozen feet onto the ground. "Where are you?" Kim demanded. Panic was setting in once again, even worse now that she had come so close to freedom only to have it completely ripped away from her.

"A true warrior needs no eyes," Shadow taunted. "But I will indulge you." The lights came on, Kim raising an arm to brace herself.

"Game or not, I'm not going down that easily, Shadow!" Kim warned, trying to calm herself. However, if she and two others couldn't beat him, Kim's chances were quite low. But I've got to try. Kim thought."As soon as I find you, anyway."

"Very well, make your move." Shadow suddenly appeared in front of her. In response to her confusion, he continued:" Why do you think I refer to myself as Shadow? If you win, there's the door." He held a hand behind his back, his sickening grin both angering and frightening her, beckoning Kim forward.

What she remembered from last time was that she simply couldn't charge in and attack the way she did with everyone else. I'll have to do this very carefully. Kim thought. For a few moments, they simply circled each other, Shadow waiting patiently. He doesn't consider me much of a threat. Perhaps I can use that against him.

She charged forward, only to have him dodge to the side and give her a light tap on the head. It wasn't enough to hurt her, even; nothing more than a taunt. Kim turned around, walking right, but then swiftly moved left, her punches controlled and strong. Kim attempted a leg sweep just as she threw two punches, one aimed at his gut, the other at his head.

But he dodged every single one of them and laughed. "This is pathetic, Kimberly." Shadow grinned, still keeping his left hand behind his back. "How weak are your enemies if you terrify them so?" He went on the offensive, and after a couple of dodges, grabbed Kim's arms, and threw her on her back. "Shego believes you're a worthy opponent, but I haven't seen anything."

Their little dance continued as Kim tried again and again to contact with him, evading whenever possible, using the style that had served so well against Shego. However, being that Shadow was much more powerful and had studied her extensively, the tactic was an utter failure. Not only was she fighting her opponent, she was fighting her own emotions, trying to keep herself together and not give in,

Shadow moved back, his red hair flying to and fro. He ran to the other side of the room, waiting for her to pursue. Unlike Ron, though, Kim was aware of the ploy he was attempting and simply waited as her feelings battled with each other. All were hitting her at same time, but what was truly beginning to surface was her hatred, the desire to tear him apart, to make him suffer for keeping her here for... was it three days or four? It was very difficult to keep track, even with her best efforts.

Realizing it wasn't going to work, Shadow closed in again, completely confident, with a smirk that Kim wanted nothing more than to wipe off his face. It reminded her so much as Bonnie, only she wasn't the deadly threat that he was. Shadow sneered. "Can't you do any better than this?"

It was time to end this game. "As you wish, Shadow." Kim gave him a smirk of her own, ducking under his punch and throwing a strong combo. Only a desperate block, combined with superhuman reflexes, allowed him to get away from it unscathed. He waited for her to jump back and evade, just as before.

But Kim had changed. Instead of moving back, she moved forward, switching styles, alternating between punches, karate chops, leg sweeps, shots to every part of his body, keeping him guessing about what she was going to do next. She still relied on her agility, except now instead of jumping away, she used to move from left to right, hitting him from all sides, preventing him from getting to a better position.

Shadow used a brief offensive to stun her and then leaped away, hoping for a chance to regain his composure. Kim refused to let him and charged right after him, her determination allowing her to tap into her reserves, becoming faster and stronger than before. She had still yet to actually touch, but she was making him work furiously to block her strikes as she moved in an erratic pattern, knowing that if she becomes in the least predictable, she would lost the imitative.

It was then that Shadow realized the truth. Just as he was playing her... Kimberly had done the same exact thing to him. He had expected her to fight the way he had seen, the way he had prepared for, and she took advantage of that. And she was getting stronger, stronger than he had ever seen her. He knew she was drawing on a power that she didn't even know that she possessed.

The games were over. It was time to get serious.

Changing his previously playful demeanor, he stopped blocking and attacked. He shoved a palm into her gut, moving slightly to the side to avoid a vicious sucker punch, jumping to the left to get away from a knee aimed right at his groin. The next attack she knew, he grabbed and headbutted her, knowing it was the last thing Kimberly would expect. Two can play at that game.

Now that this was becoming serious, the advantage had gone back to Shadow. "Very good, Kimberly, but not good enough." Shadow laughed. He had adapted to her plan and sent a hand, intending to grab her throat, Kimberly barely managing to block it in time... but this was merely a feint. He aimed first for the right side of her ribcage, then turned around at the last second and hit the left side just a fraction of a second too fast for her to do anything about it.

The blow, while not fatal, slowed her down. Shadow swung under her before she could react, trapping her in a half nelson, sending a kick into her spine, backflipping away, jumping over ten feet in the air. Kim scrambled to her feet, but what confidence she had left was eroding. Shadow was no longer playing around with her; this was now a serious battle.

"I'm curious: do you miss your dear boyfriend?" Shadow laughed. "An interesting match; he certainly isn't much like you, very little actual skill."

"Shut up about Ron!" Kim demanded. Her self-restraint was steadily eroding as her captivity wore on. Her morals about being a hero were being consumed by the furnace inside her, the raw power that it allowed.

"Would you like to see him?" Shadow taunted.

"If you've hurt him, I'll kill you!" Kim screamed, wanting nothing more than to charge at him and only the fragments of what remained of her self-control prevented her from doing so.

"Yes... Yes, I believe you will." Shadow laughed. "But the question is: does he feel the same way about you?"

"What... what are you talking about?" Kim asked, taken off-guard. Of course Ron liked her! What was he trying to hint out.

"I'm sorry, you deserve to be shown." Shadow replied, pulling a remote out of his pocket. A screen popped up behind him, of the building that they had fought in before. Shego was scanning the area, looking for clues.

Kim received the surprise of her life when she saw her boyfriend, her best friend for almost her entire life, smash his lips on Shego's. And she looked to be kissing back as he pressed her body against his. What hurt the most, though, were his words. "I've missed you! I need you!" Her mouth was wide open, her eyes beginning to shimmer.

"Yes, he's certainly a loyal boyfriend." Shadow laughed. "It only took him, what, four days, to make his move on her? She certainly seems to be enjoying herself as well."

Kim's mind tried to tell her that what she was seeing couldn't be true, couldn't be fact. This was just another one of his tricks, a fake video to get her riled up.

"Her name is Shego. She's wanted in eleven countries!" Wade informed them.

"Make that twelve!" Ron exclaimed, his eyes wandering her body.

Still, though, he couldn't possibly have done that. Yes, he found her attractive, which Kim supposed was only natural, but he'd never cheat on her! Right? Kim wondered. Under normal circumstances, it'd never even occurred to her, but days of fighting, of imprisonment, and of darkness were taking their toll. Her hatred resurfaced, her body almost glowing with power.

"Would you like to watch it again?" Shadow wondered, replaying the clip. "Now look carefully; this is the part where Ronald..."

Which was as far as he got, because in an instant, Kim charged, kicked him in the face, chopped him in the throat, kneed him in the groin, and sucker punched him in the ribs, sending him to the ground.

Shadow only just recovered in time to block further attacks, including a punch to the eye. He blocked furiously, moving constantly, remembering his surroundings in order to avoid being blocked into a corner.

Now he understood why Kimberly Possible was considered such a dangerous foe. She was a fighting machine, with a single-minded focus on victory. He took the offensive when he could, strengthening his own attacks, but attempting to take care not to cause her any serious injury, being as that was not in his plan.

She wasn't aware of it, at least not consciously, but she was using her innate power in her fight. But Shadow knew. And he observed that even now, as she drove him back step after step, forcing him to give ground, a few of her attacks actually contacting, Kimberly was still holding back. It was leaking, but had not yet been fully unleashed. Her fear was holding it back.

Not fear of himself, he mused. That certainly wasn't the case now. It was the fear of what Kimberly could truly do should she cross the line, should she forget the ethics that she had lived by for so long.

And that fear was beginning to interfere. Her attacks became weaker, slower, as she tried to patch up her control, trying to remember that she was a hero, not a monster. The instant conscious thought came to her, Kim's abilities disappeared.

That won't do at all. Shadow thought. Out loud, he proclaimed: "Don't suppress your emotions, Kimberly; use them! Channel your power! Unlock your full potential, and you will be invincible! Strike now! Stop holding back, Kimberly! Show me everything you can do!"

She refused to response, merely standing there, not even in a defensive posture. Shadow decided to try something different. "Your work is quite dangerous, Kimberly; did you know that? It isn't all fun and games. You've come close to dying more than once, and your boyfriend isn't as skilled as you are. Think of it: arriving just a fraction of a second too slow, seeing him fall, watching him die in your arms, until you're left holding nothing but a corpse."

That did it. The images of Ron's death shattered what little self-control she had remaining. Every moral, every belief, all her thoughts about doing the right thing... they burned away. Her eyes held the promise of hell.

Kim attacked again, and for the first time in this fight- indeed, for the first time in her life- she fought with the intent to kill. The energy that was held deep inside her completely swallowed her, her strength and speed growing, no longer restrained.

All of a sudden, Shadow was wondering if he had possibly made a mistake, if her full potential was greater than even he realized.

But there was no time to think. It was time to do or die.

Kim, on the other hand, had no thoughts remaining inside of her head, save one: Kill Shadow. For her, there was only hatred, and the will to act on it.

She moved faster than she even dreamed, attacking Shadow with everything she had. He would not, could not, be allowed to escape. Kim did not escape unscathed, as he was still a deadly opponent, but her mind held only one thought. She felt no pain, felt no fear, no hesitation, no morals, only desire.

When Shadow attempted to counter-attack, to regain his advantage, Bonnie's smirking face sent a fist into his ribcage, striking hard enough to send him flying into the air.

Kim grabbed his leg and twisted, trying to break it, with only Shadow's endurance and skill preventing her from doing so. Her foot was ready to stomp as soon as he landed, hitting his stomach. The back of her leg was kicked with great force, but all it did was allow him a small amount of time to slip away, not enough time to gain any ground on her.

He was steadily driven back as more and more of her strikes penetrated his defense. Kim no longer used any evasive tactics, offensive or defensive. The only thing she was using now was hate. She refused to budge an inch, refusing to move back, steadily moving forward no matter what blows she received.

When he broke away, and began to fire red energy, Ron's tears when he learned another woman was merely manipulating him for her amusement allowed her to dodge.

When doubts began to flow into her mind on whether she should really take this step, whether murder was something her conscience would allow, Shego's lips on Ron's silenced them.

Nothing was going to get in the way of her goal. When he knocked her back, Kim charged forward again, ignoring that Shadow had succeeded in taking down her, Ron, and Shego, forgetting the power that he possessed, overlooking that he had practical intelligence.

And Shadow had evidently figured out just how much trouble he was in. He no longer used his physical abilities alone, but began to fire energy out of his palms, launching ball after ball at her, each shot more powerful than the last. When Kim got close enough, he resorted to telekinesis, shoving her away, hoping it would stop her from doing what she most desired. His eyes began to glow red, meaning that he was no longer holding back.

Nothing, though, was going to deter her. Whereas the old Kim would have stepped back, or tried a new plan, tried to use her brains instead, this Kim would simply keep attacking. Her mind knew nothing else now. There was only one detail that she had overlooked.

Shadow was far more experienced with power than she was.

A energy shot hit directly in the torso, at last beginning to put an end to her non-stop barrage. Kim's body had paid a heavy price for everything, for every superhuman feat that she had achieved in this battle. Her energy began to give out and with one final strike, she collapsed onto the ground.

Once she was unconscious, Shadow observed her sleeping form. Her body was covered with burns and bruises and he couldn't help but wince. Things had gotten a little out of control. Shadow had to admit. What began as merely a training exercise to test her capabilities turned into a fight for his life. He hadn't been in so much danger in years. Had the fight gone on much longer, he would have, no matter how much he wished to prevent it, have used lethal force.

Dangerous as this was, though, it was quite educational. Two things were now apparent. The first was that Global Justice were fools to dismiss the Ron Factor. Shadow had already known that, but this had shown how crucial he was to her life, her stability, her well being. While Kimberly may have been the fighter of Team Possible, Ron was its soul. He was the key, the key to everything about her.

And the second one... it would give him something new against the one person he loathed more than anyone else, living or dead.

Shadow leaned down and hoisted her over her shoulder, making sure to be as gentle as possible. Yes... she will make a perfect apprentice.

XXXXXXXXXX

Okay, I was originally going to have a scene with Ron in the beginning of this, but I decided against it, not if I wanted the emotional impact of this fight that I was going for. The next chapter should be up in a few days. As always, read, review, and let me hear your thoughts.