Authors Note: Thanks again to everyone who cares about this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible.

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The interior of the lab was dark. It was lonely. Ron didn't expect much more though. After all, it was after hours. He anticipated this being just another one of those easy missions where he was in and out in five minutes. That's what it was supposed to be like in Sacramento too. But plans changed very quickly when a certain red head decided to show up.

He really didn't know what he was supposed to be looking for. Professor Dementor had instructed him to steal the plans to a newly developed laser. But Ron hadn't a clue where one would store such plans. Were they on paper, or somewhere on a computer? The possibilities were seemingly endless. But at least he knew which room they were located in. That was a start.

Lab room 602. There was nothing too significant about it. Some desks with computers on them and neatly stacked piles of paper. He decided to look through the papers first as they were easily accessible. After a few seconds of reading his head began to hurt.

"What the heck is this stuff?" He groaned.

The formulas and statistics on the papers were something that his high school mind was not at all familiar with. But one thing was for certain. These were not the plans to a laser. What he was looking for not only contained some weird numbers, but blueprints as well. He felt around in one of his pockets for his flash drive. A slight smile formed on his face when he found it. Now would definitely not be the time to have no way of getting the information off of the computer. And he didn't much want to do the old 'e-mail yourself the data' trick either. Not when something like that would be so traceable. He heard a voice behind him as he turned on the computer.

"You know Ron, you're getting sloppy." The female voice said. "That door was just wide open for me."

Ron jumped in surprise when he suddenly realized he was not alone. "Don't do that!"

Her vision narrowed at him. "So sorry Ron. Now then, the game is up. You've been caught in the act. And this time you get no option of coming quietly."

"You know if I didn't know any better, I would say you have a thing for me."

Her response was nothing short of being repulsed. "Me? A thing for you? That's disgusting. You're disgusting. This whole sitch is disgusting."

"Well think about it." He said as his body began to relax a little. "You've ditched your boyfriend for me the past two Friday nights. One would think that counts as having a thing for me."

"He is not my boyfriend." She protested. Although she didn't exactly know why she was saying that. She would absolutely love if that were true. "And just how the heck do you know about Josh and me?"

"The Ron-man has ways of obtaining information." He said with a smug smile.

"Monique told you, didn't she." It was a statement, not a question.

"Well, kinda. She really knows what's going on with people in school."

At that moment her kimmunicator began beeping its familiar sound. She was either too focused on Ron at the moment to answer it, or simply didn't care.

"Whatever. That's not important right now. What is important is that you're right where I want you. Game over Rondo."

As she began advancing toward the seemingly defeated Ron, a powerful explosion above them ripped open a small portion of the ceiling. As the dust settled and the smoke cleared the outline of Dr. Drakken's hover car came into view.

She whipped out her beeping kimmunicator and answered it. She gave Wade no chance to speak before she began.

"Wade it was a trap!" She announced loudly. "What's the ETA on GJ?"

"What is it with you and traps?" Ron interrupted. "As if I'm smart enough to think of some brilliant operation like that. Wait, that came out wrong."

"So the fact that you and the guy you work for are both here is supposed to convince me that this isn't a trap?" She asked incredulously.

"Uh… yes? And besides, I'm not working for him tonight."

Wade was quite displeased by the fact that he had not even gotten a word in yet. Here he was trying to warn Kim of Dr. Drakkens arrival, and she hadn't even had the courtesy to respond until it was too late.

"If you two are finished gossiping, Global Justice forces will be there in approximately twenty minutes. Until then-"

"Twenty minutes until who gets here?" Drakken interrupted. Wade was getting very tired of this.

"Global Justice." Ron answered.

"Hey, it's you. That guy who works for me. What are you doing here? I didn't hire you for tonight… did I?" He turned his head nervously toward Shego. "Shego I don't think the budget can handle building a Death Star and keeping him on the payroll."

"Relax doc, you didn't hire him for tonight. Though I am curious myself as to why he's here." Out of the corner of her eye she realized that Kim was in the room as well. "Oh look, Kimmie is here too!" Her tone then turned to sarcasm. "This night just keeps on getting better."

The three parties all looked anxiously at each other, trying to anticipate the others next move. But then a realization came to Dr. Drakken.

"Blonde headed kid!" He shouted, pointing his finger at Ron. "Go take care of Kim Possible while we escape with the plans to our new laser."

Ron shook his head before he responded. "Sorry dude, but it's like you said. I don't work for you tonight. So you're not getting away with anything that I came for."

Drakken was visibly angry. "You buffoon! You worked for me in the past. We're on the same side. It's three against one right now. We could finish Kim Possible off forever tonight."

"Hey, did you just call me a buffoon?" He said, outraged at the insult. "I am not a buffoon. I don't even know what a buffoon is."

"Shut up!" Kim and Shego said to him simultaneously. After that their eyes locked, and the two female combatants slowly began to study each other in preparation for a fight.

Ron's voice was slightly lower after the combined chastising of the two ladies. "Seriously though, what is it? Some kind of monkey?"

His last question went unanswered by everyone as Kim and Shego were now within striking distance of each other. Unlike Ron, Kim knew that Shego was a definite threat, and possessed martial skill that was nearly equal to her own. She knew that she had to take out the green-skinned woman before moving on to the two men, who would be easy prey.

Shego lashed out with her right fist that Kim was able to avoid before swinging a left hook aimed at Kim's jaw. Again the teen heroine evaded the blow and was able to back away from Shego using a handspring.

Kim now took the offensive as she charged, bringing her own fist trying to make contact with Shego's face. The villainess blocked the blow, but was surprised when she was doubled over in pain as Kim's knee was driven into her gut.

Shego snarled as she swiftly recovered and once more lunged at her hated foe.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ron inserted his flash drive into the computer as he searched the hard drive for the data he sought. While he may not have been an expert on computers, he was able to find his way around and knew the locations a file like this could be kept.

"Boo yah!" He shouted in triumph as he found what he was looking for.

As the file transfer began, he glanced over at Dr. Drakken who was fumbling through the pile of papers that Ron had already searched through. As the electronic process was completed, Ron removed the small device and began walking toward the door that he had entered through.

But as he passed by Drakken, he couldn't help but gloat a bit. "Sorry man, but I already have the info right here. Oh, and I deleted the rest of it on the computer. Too bad, so sad."

Drakken's expression was one of panic. "What! Why would you do such a thing? We're all in this together!"

"Maybe you will think of that the next time your check bounces!" Ron bit back angrily. It was apparently a little too loud, as Kim and Shego ceased their duel for a few seconds.

"Hah!" Shego spat, pointing and laughing at Drakken. "I told you that you were cheap. That's why you have us steal everything for you. Even the groceries." After that she resumed the melee with Kim.

But Drakken was not one to give up so easily. This information was after all the key to his newest evil plot. His face turned serious as he took a step in Ron's direction.

"Hand over the flash drive now, you incompetent little oaf." He said as he reached his arm out and opened his palm so that Ron could place the device in it.

"Read my lips. Noooooooooooooooooooooo." Ron said slowly as he began walking again. He never expected to be tackled to the floor by the blue-skinned madman.

The arm with the flash drive was above his head as he struggled to keep it away from the man who was pinning him to the floor.

"Give. Me. That. Thing!" Drakken managed to get out as he grappled with Ron on the ground for control over the flash drive.

"Ow! Dude get off me!"

"Not until the information is AHHHH!"

An enraged Rufus had emerged from Ron's pocket and bit into one of Drakken's small fingers. As blood dripped from Drakken's finger Rufus continued the assault as he tore through the villains pants and began to gnaw on one of his legs.

"Get it off me get it off me!" He screamed in both pain and fear. "Shego help me!"

When the naked mole rat finally released it's grip, Drakken decided to crawl over to a corner and nurse his two wounds. From there at least he would be able to have a good view of the battle between Kim and Shego.

XXXXXXXXXX

The two women had been exchanging blows for the past few minutes now and neither had been able to gain that significant of an advantage. Shego as usual was the more aggressive of the two and repeatedly threw lefts and rights at Kim, who was naturally able to elude most of the potential damage.

Occasionally though the two fighters did manage to successfully strike each other. Kim was currently sporting a black left eye while Shego suffered a busted lip and sore jaw. They once more broke off from their melee and circled around each other getting ready for the next round of action.

That was when Kim noticed that Drakken was down, and in the corner sucking on one of his fingers. Normally this would but nothing out of the ordinary, but that was only when she was in the process of destroying one of his lairs and foiling his latest scheme. But things seemed pretty even at the moment. So why then would he seem so fazed by this battle?

Her answer came as she saw Ron walked toward the exit. While Shego had kept her occupied this whole time, Ron was able to acquire whatever it was that he had came for. So it would appear that Drakken had lost this battle. But Kim couldn't look at this like a win-win situation where no matter what one of her foes lost. This was a lose-lose situation for her if Ron or Drakken got away with their prize. And the only way to get to Ron was through Shego, despite the fact that they apparently weren't on the same side.

So Kim decided to try something a bit out of the ordinary for her and restart the fray herself. Usually she would wait and let Shego strike first, most of the time into a carefully prepared trap. But there was no time to waste on this occasion. And she seriously doubted that she could convince Shego to help her stop Ron on the behalf of Drakken and his plan. Shego just didn't roll that way.

So it was Kim who reignited the fire of this fight, rushing at Shego attempting to spin the villainesses head around with a left fist. This blow was ducked, as was the spinning backhand that followed immediately afterward. The assault continued as Kim's left knee strike was caught by Shego, who then proceeded to viciously head butt Kim in her nose, sending the redhead stumbling backwards.

A smile curled on Shego's lips as she saw blood slowly trickle down into Kim's lips. She was a bit dazed from the blow, but clearly still ready to fight. But that wouldn't last long if Shego had anything to say about it.

But she decided to savor the moment for now. "What's wrong Kimmie, afraid of a little blood?"

Rather than answering Kim launched herself once more at Shego. What she was not expecting was the boot of Shego to be driven into her ribs. Kim flew back a few feet falling to the ground in pain clutching her midsection. It took a few moments before she began to stir.

It was time to end this. Shego reached down to the pouch on her left leg, producing a sheathed knife. She removed the covering to reveal a rather cruel looking blade, looking with murderous intent in Kim's direction.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ron had been in the process of leaving when he saw that Shego and Kim had starting fighting again. Not one to miss a good show, he stood in the doorway and watched the exchange between the two beautiful women. Both now bore several flesh wounds from their conflict but were still ready and willing to continue. That was until Kim was knocked hard to the ground.

The knife that Shego held in her clawed hand sent shivers down Ron's spine. "Well that's an unexpected twist." He said in surprise.

He looked around to see if anyone planned on doing anything about this. The unarmed Kim Possible didn't stand a very good chance against an armed, trained opponent such as Shego, despite her claim to be able to do anything.

He took a step forward. "Uh, Shego? What's up with the knife?"

She didn't look back at him when she responded. "Some thing are just done best the old fashioned way."

Those words held obvious meaning behind them. "Well… as much as that might be true for some things, I don't think that this is one of them."

"Get lost kid." She snapped back at him. "This is between the princess and me."

Ron stood frozen for a moment, pondering what he should do. On one hand, this was none of his business as Shego had said. Those two weren't even supposed to be here tonight. They got themselves into this mess, and they could get themselves out of it. Besides, Shego's track record against Kim in the past was less than impressive.

But on the other hand, Kim was down, bloodied, and Shego did possess a knife. Something inside Ron told him to throw all their past battles out the window. This one stood alone in terms of the situation. Then something else crept into his mind. Something that he never imagined he would have to think about. The thought that someone could get hurt while he did his job, or in this case, even killed. He couldn't just leave when he could do something about this potential murder, right? Even if she was an enemy of his.

He glanced in Kim's direction and saw a look of fear in her eyes. It was unlike the many harsh glares he had received from her since they first met. Here tonight in Seattle was not the brave and confident girl he had come to know and quite frankly loath. Here was a person who was afraid they were about to die. Ron knew what he had to do.

He walked over to the combatants and gently reached his hand to touch Shego's left shoulder, hoping that he could at least talk her out of the action she was about to commit.

"Shego I don't know if this-"

He never finished.

The woman spun so fast it seemed to defy everything Ron thought he knew about physics. In doing so she slashed Ron open from his left hip to his belly button. In the same fluid movement Shego hit Ron with a vile shot to his head, sending him tumbling back into the wall with a sickening thud. He slumped to the floor unconscious.

As Shego looked on at what she had just done, she didn't realize that his distraction had given Kim just the opening that she had needed. A kick sent the knife flying from the grip of Shego and off into the distance out of the reach of both women. She followed up with a fist into the already sore jaw of Shego which sent the villainess back in Ron's direction. Then she realized that Drakken was shouting something from the other side of the room.

"The flash drive Shego!" He yelled. "Get it out of his pocket! And watch out for that bald gopher thing!"

Shego gingerly reached down into the fallen boys pocket and pulled out the small black and silver device. She also noticed that a pool of blood was beginning to form under him. Even if she did care enough to do something about it there was no time. Global Justice would be here any minute now, and she had to escape with Drakken. The pair of criminals dashed out the door leaving the two teens alone. Both were beaten and injured, though one more severely than the other.

XXXXXXXXXX

Kim couldn't believe her eyes. The knife that had been intended for her had instead been used on one of her most hated foes. The person that had for the past week become a prime annoyance in her life. And now he lay only a few feet away from her in a puddle of his own blood. Blood spilt trying to… protect her? That didn't begin to make even a bit of sense to her. Her world tended to be one of black and white, a shade of gray like this just didn't register with her.

It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off her before rushing to Ron's side. She belt down and removed his shirt to examine him. But she was too panicked in this sitch. She couldn't remember the little bit of medical training she had learned from her mother. What was she supposed to do again? Apply pressure to the wound? She did just that, and was slightly sickened at the sight of the blood seeping through the fingers of her gloves. She realized at this moment that she would probably never be able to follow her mother down a path that involved surgery.

As she was desperately trying to stop the blood weeping from Ron's wound, she once more affirmed in her heart that she was a good person. She was very modest when it came to the things she did, but every now and then she just had to admit to herself that she was indeed a hero. Not many people go out of their way to help their enemies. And that was just what she was doing right here. She was doing it just because it was the right thing to do. This boy had parents. He must have had friends back in Go City. He had at least one friend in Middleton, that being Monique.

While she was pondering these things she heard voices in the distance. In a few seconds the team of Global Justice agents came entered the room, scanning the area with their weapons. When it became apparent that only the two teenagers were present they lowered their arms and began securing the area, with the exception of two individuals that approached Kim.

"Kim Possible, I presume." The man stated. "I am Commander Burns, and to my left here is Medical Officer Hullum." He looked down at Ron before turning to Hullum. "See to this wounded boy."

With a professional on the scene Kim was free of trying to prevent Ron from bleeding out. She stood to her full height while ripping off her blood-soaked gloves to shake the Global Justice Commander's hand. "It's good you got here when you did. I don't know if I could've stopped this guy from bleeding."

Burns merely nodded in understanding before going on with his work. "I take it that you failed in stopping the theft of classified material from this lab, Ms. Possible?"

That was a bit more blunt than she would have preferred, but it was right on the money. "There were some unexpected complications with this sitch and-"

He cut her off in mid-sentence. "Complications or not, perhaps you should be leaving these things to trained professionals, rather than amateurs like yourself."

The 'A word' seriously tweaked Kim. "Look, I don't know who you are, but you've obviously been getting lessons from Will Du. And it's like I tell him every time, compare my track record to GJ's, and you'll notice that I'm a heck of a lot more competent than you so called 'professionals'."

The man's demeanor did not change with that insult. "Irrelevant. You are nothing more than a vigilante to me, and it's beyond me why Dr. Director continuously allows you to go gallivanting around the world doing our job."

"Maybe it's because your entire organization relies on me to make them look good." Kim retorted.

Burns was now becoming a bit agitated. "Look Ms. Possible, the grown-up's here don't have time for your little games. Now we're going to get your partner here transferred to the nearest medical facility. Are you coming along or not?"

Kim's eyes went wide and her face became a mixture of horror and confusion. Partner? Did that man just say that Ron Stoppable was Kim Possible's partner? She couldn't begin to even explain how wrong that assessment was. Why on earth would he think that she was his partner? One look at Ron gave her the answer she sought. He wore black cargo pants, black gloves, and had been wearing a black shirt similar to hers. Someone who had never met her before would naturally assume that he was her partner, especially at the display of her trying to save his life so much.

It was at that moment that Kim's conscious caught up with her. She could have easily said that this boy was not her partner. She could have told the Global Justice agent that this was the villain she had been attempting to stop, and not Dr. Drakken as he most likely assumed. She could be rid of this nuisance forever. He could be locked up in prison for years. It could be one of her finest victories.

Then again, he had saved her. It was that simple. He could have escaped unscathed with his prize. But he didn't, for whatever reason. She considered what it would be like if their roles were reversed, if she were the one laying on the floor covered in blood. It made her shudder inside. Like it or not, Ron had done a good deed for her. And now she would do one for him as well.

"Yeah. My partner." She choked out. "Let's get going."

By now they had been able to stabilize Ron and get him prepped for the trip to the hospital. As Kim and Burns jogged to their waiting ride, he hit her with a question she had been hoping he wouldn't ask.

"It's funny Ms. Possible." He stated emotionlessly. "From all of the reports I read, you have never once worked with any allies outside of our own organization."

She made sure she wasn't looking at him when she replied. She was a terrible liar. "Oh well you know… the whole world saving business can get pretty dangerous at times. I thought I would keep him on a trial basis."

"Hmm…" Was all he said in his reply.

Kim wasn't quite sure what that meant, but at least he didn't bother asking any more prying questions. She was satisfied that her response was believable. She clambered into the back of the Global Justice truck and sat down in a seat that was right next to where Ron lay. She looked down at him innocently enough, but her mind possessed much different emotions.

"Don't think that this is over."