Here we are, next chapter. Same as always, R&R please, especially if you have any advice on how to stop making this story a horrible black spot on the site.

Disclaimer: Kim Possible, tis not meant to be. (Translation: Still don't own Kim Possible.)

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The future was painful.

Ron landed flat on his stomach, banging his head painfully of the carpeted floor. Dazed for a few seconds, Ron returned to his senses as a splashing noise sounded behind him. Instinctively, he rolled to the side, just in time to see Anna land on all fours right where he had just been.

Sitting up, Ron glanced about the room around him. At first, it looked as if nothing had happened, that they had just jumped through to the other side of the flame. But differences began to stick out as Ron continued his observation. The candles encircling them were all burnt out, there tops and bases no longer two separate parts. The entire room had a sad, unkempt feeling about it, mold, dust and cobwebs tracing the entire length of the room. Also, Ron noticed after the portal had dissipated, the stairs on the other side of the room had partly collapsed, making it impossible to climb them.

Anna collapsed onto the ground where she had landed, breathing heavily. The strain of keeping the portal open must have been very great, Ron guessed, for she was completely drenched in sweat. Those few extra seconds must have pushed here to her very limit.

Ron stood up and strode to her side, offering his hand. "Can you stand?" he asked quietly, gazing upon her pained face.

"Of course." She replied, as she tried to stand. Her knees buckled almost instantly, causing her to fall flat on the ground again.

"Not." Ron said as he helped her into a sitting position. Kim walked over to them as she completed her survey of the room. "She can't go on, KP. We'll have to camp here tonight."

"No!" Anna shouted, as she once more struggled to stand, this time succeeding in maintaining a crouch, her knees shaking violently. "We must move on at once. We have wasted to much time already."

"Anna," Kim said in her gentle voice. "You can't go on like this. Your to weak."

"No! We must get going."

"But you can barely stand, let alone..." The rest of the argument was lost to Ron. He quickly scanned the room, making sure that he had not been mistaken. There was a chance, but personally, those footprints looked a little to big to be one of theirs.

Using Anna and Kim as cover, Ron casually leaned back and reached into Anna's pouch, which she had rested on the floor behind her. Then he straitened back up, Standing up to join the now-heated argument. Both Anna and Kim were on the verge of shouting, determined not to be beaten.

"Look, Anna," Kim said fiercely, her eyes flashing with green fire. "It won't help your cause if you just run out into the open and then get caught because your to tired to move. One day won't hurt, and you need the rest."

"I must complete the mission as soon as possible!" Anna countered with equal ferocity, her knuckles turned with for clenching to hard. "Miss Possible, surely you must understand that-" Whatever it is that Kim had to understand was lost. Ron had moved lightning fast, throwing the two shuriken he had hidden in his sleeve at the left wall. They didn't get that far.

The two throwing stars stuck in midair, and a cry of pain was heard throughout the room as the points of the projectiles began to turn red. Ron rushed over and groped at a pint just a little below the lower star. As his hands were met by substance he held fast, pivoted and threw the object past him, a satisfactory smile crossing his face as a body-shaped implant appeared in the dust beside him. He reached down to what he estimated was the throat and pulled it back, taking out another shuriken and placing the tip to the front part of the body.

"Turn the invisibility off." He demanded, pushing the shuriken a little closer, stopping immediately after he met resistance. "Now." His captive obeyed immediately, and Ron watched as the form slowly materialized before him. Ron quickly adjusted his grip, so that the shuriken was level with the man's neck instead of his nose. "Now, I have a few questions I'm going to ask you," Ron said to him, his voice barely more than a whisper. "And it's in your best interest to answer truthfully, kapish?"

"Y-Yes." The man said, eying the shuriken closely. "Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, anyone have questions to ask him?" Ron inquired, looking around at the amused faces looking down at him.

Kim gave a good-hearted sigh and stepped forward, her eyes sparkling with amusement. This was immediately replaced by her 'serious face' as she looked down at their captive. "First off, who are you?"

"I am city-patrol officer James Grant, dispatched to the London district by the most honourable Senator SeƱor Senior the second. My troop code is 5-166623-1010104-2213-"

"Stop." Anna said impatiently, moving forwards to join the interrogation. "We don't need to know your 43 digit number, just tell us why you're here."

"Yes, mama." James said, and Ron had the distinct impression that he had forced the last word out. "I was dispatched to this location to investigate a mysterious power surge that occurred twenty three minutes after midnight three day's previous. After reporting my discovery of the ring of candles I was ordered to remain here and report anything that happened directly to the High General of Peace Enforcement, who would be within hailing distance."

"The High General is in the city!" Anna cried, her alarm written clearly across her face. "Oh sh-. Where?"

"The High General should be making his way here as we speak to gain my report in response to the power surge that occurred upon your arrival, which had knocked out my communication devices."

"On his way!" Anna bellowed, her face losing colour at a remarkable rate. "We have to leave now!" As she spoke she ran to the far side of the room, picking up her bag as she went.

"What about James here?" Ron asked, pulling James back a little to leave no doubt of who he was talking about.

"Kill him." Anna said offhandedly, causing Kim and Ron to start. Oblivious to this, Anna reached her hands up to touch the edges of a hole in the ceiling, which obviously she intended to use as their exit.

"What?" Ron cried, his eyes growing to an impressively large size. Had he heard her wrong, or had she just told him to end this man's life?

Anna looked back at them, letting her hands drop to her sides. "Just slit his throat and be done with it." She said, looking at them curiously. "It's not that hard to understand, and besides, we can't just leave him here. We can't let The Dark One know we have you, and when time is of the essence, we can't waste any taking him with us. So, we do the only other choice. Not even The Dark One can interrogate the dead."

"I won't end a man's life." Ron said firmly, finally putting the shuriken away.

"Then you shouldn't have come with us." Anna said pointy, raising her hands once more to the hole.

"Neither will I, Anna." Kim said firmly, glaring at the young ninja.

"Fine." Anna said, with an air of impatience. She moved forward, reaching down to her leg and pulling her ki up enough to reveal a knife strapped to her calf. "I'll do it, and we can discuses changing your opinions at head-quarters."

"Wait." James said suddenly, surprising everyone. "I may be able to help you."

"Really?" Anna asked, looking skeptical. "Or are you just trying not to die."

"No." James replied, with enough force in his voice that even Anna started for a second, before resuming her glare. "I joined The Great Ruler's forces because I believed there was no hope of over-throwing him. But with you here that might change, and I'm willing to take the chance to see him gone. Why else would I have told you that critical information."

"Because you're The Dark One's filthy servant who is trying to gain our trust." Anna responded, moving forward. The dagger was naked in her hand. "I will not let you jeopardize my mission."

"Wait." Ron said, holding his hand up to prevent her from coming any closer. He was more than willing to take chances to prevent meaningless bloodshed. "How can you help us, James."

James looked up into Ron's face, a determined look in his eyes. "By delaying the general long enough for you to escape."

Anna remained sceptical, looking at the deadly curve in her blade. "The penalty to that sort of crime is death. Why would you be willing to die to give us some time when you could just tell the truth and be a honored hero."

"Because, no honor can ever replace freedom."

The statement caught everyone off guard, and Ron's fingers released their hold. James rose, slowly, and looked around at them. Ron looked up at him, and their eyes met: Ron's brown to James' blue. Ron nodded slowly, then stood up and walked over to the two girls. He silently took their arms and led them to the hole in the roof. He helped Anna and Kim up, then turned to the solitary figure standing in the room, pulling the shurikuns away and turning to face them. "Your name isn't James Grant, is it."

"No." The man answered, smiling at him. Ron nodded, vaguely aware of the glances being shared overhead. "Good bye, and good luck."

Ron nodded, then holstered himself up through the hole. He nodded at the two bewildered girls, then they started off, quickly dodging through the ruins of the manor. He knew that the moment the chance arose he would be bombarded with questions, but that could wait. He did not want the sacrifice to be in vain. "Good luck, cousin Reuben. Good luck."

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Yeah, here's me hopping reading this chapter didn't give you the desire to track me down and pummel me into an unrecognizable pulp. Next chapter will come when it comes.

Don't worry, any questions you might have will be answered in the next few chapters, so that you can have room for the new questions I hope to be invoking.