The men returned to the makeshift gym in the spare room. Ron checked out the rest of the equipment that he'd missed before while the older man plopped himself down to sit on the workout bench.

"Now that was some good eatin." Waylen said with another burp. "Where'd you learn to cook like that Ron?"

Peeking out from around the punching bag, the blond shrugged. "Most of it was self taught."

"Come on, no way."

"Way." Ron affirmed with a nod even as he struck what he thought was a boxing pose and pretended to take a few swings at the bag. "Way back when I was a kid, mom got me one of those toy baking ovens. You know the kind you can make little cakes and stuff in. Not sure if she wanted a little girl instead, but hey I had fun so it's all good."

Waylen watched as Ron put on a rather silly show of doing footwork and something he assumed was meant to be boxing. Complete with Ron doing crowd sounds and acting as ref now and then like he was counting the bag out. He couldn't help but grin at the kid. He could see why his little girl liked him so much. Ron seemed like a great guy, not like that guy Tara had been dating before. He still wanted to get his hands on that one, but Waylen knew better than to beat the crap out of a high school punk...just barely.

Ron went on explaining as he circled the bag, still not actually hitting it. "I guess I just took to cooking after that. It's like one of the only things I'm actually good at."

Snorting in disbelief, Waylen said, "Not buying that for a second pal."

Ron stopped his antics and gave a shrug. "I mean I'm a good Mad Dog too, but it's not hard to put on a mascot outfit and run around like a putz. I do that even without the outfit half the time." Chuckling at his own little joke.

"See that right there is your problem kid." Waylen said as he stood. "Stop putting yourself down."

"I'm not putting myself down." Ron felt his shoulders tense. "It's the truth."

Coming over to stand next to Ron, Waylen clapped a large hand on the teen's shoulder. "Look kid I don't really know you. I get that, but listen...Tara thinks pretty highly of you and I trust her judgment this time."

Ron caught that last part. "This time?"

With a grimace the big guy moved his hand from Ron's shoulder so that it rested on top of the punching bag. "Let's just say I didn't approve of the last guy she brought around."

The light bulb went off in Ron's head. "You mean Mankey huh?"

"Oh I'd like to get my hands on him." Waylen said, making a fist with his free hand.

"What happened?" Ron asked with a little bit of apprehension.

"Sorry kid, but if you want to know that you gotta ask Tara. Not my place to air out her dirty laundry." he said.

An image of Tara's dirty laundry filled Ron's mind and he sort of got lost in all that implied. Waylen saw that the lights were on, but nobody was home look on Ron's face and snickered. He slapped the punching bag loudly.

Ron jumped, coming right out of his day dream.

"So..." Waylen began. "Tara tells me that you go on missions to save the world."

Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, Ron made a big deal of looking at his own shoes. "I wouldn't put it like that. Kim does the hard stuff like I said before. I do the distracting and self destruct button pushing."

"But you do go on these missions right?" the older man asked.

Nodding, Ron was reminded that the very idea of missions might be off the table for a while considering what was going on between Kim and himself. Waylen didn't miss the look that passed over Ron's face just then.

"What's wrong Ron?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Ron sighed. "It's just...something I need to fix."

"Heck is that all?" Waylen said with a friendly smile. "I'm pretty good at fixing things. Sorta my job as a contractor. Anything I can do?"

Giving it some thought, Ron shook his head. "Not unless you can fix best friends not being best friends."

There was a silence that hung in the room for a bit after that statement. Waylen felt like he might be stepping over a line, but he decided to go for it.

"Well, I don't know. Maybe I can, but I'd need to know the details. Gotta know the right tools for the job after all." Letting his offer sit there while Ron thought it over. He wasn't going to push the kid to talk if he didn't want to, but he'd listen if he did.

After a bit Ron decided he needed to talk to somebody and Tara's dad was a good a choice as any. At the very least Waylen wouldn't be biased like Mr. Dr. P had been.

So Ron started to tell the story of the chip, omitting certain things like a certain secret ninja school's real purpose and things like MMP and Chosen One prophecies. When he was done he felt emotionally drained and was surprised that when he wiped his hand across his face it came away wet. Tears had managed to sneak down his cheeks at some point.

To his credit Waylen had remained quiet, just taking it all in. He had to admit that what he heard was some pretty heavy stuff to deal with, especially for a guy like Ron who seemed to wear his heart on his sleeve. However he wasn't instantly on Ron's side either. From what he'd just heard there were things both of them could have done better. Ron seemed set on the notion that he wasn't pulling his weight and Waylen was sorry to say that he got the feeling the kid might be close to hitting home there. Even if Ron was pulling his weight on these missions, the fact that he felt like he wasn't spoke volumes. Then there was his friend Kim Possible. Boy she could have handled things better for sure. Like maybe bringing Ron up to speed herself. If she was the more experienced member of the team and from the name itself, Team Possible, well it sure seemed like she was the one calling the shots. She should have plugged any holes in the team from the get go. Yep, both of them were to blame if you asked him.

"Wow that's rough." he said after Ron was done.

"Yeah and now I don't know what to do." Ron admitted as he finished wiping away the last of his tears.

Resting a cheek against the punching bag, Waylen scrunched his lips in thought. "Hmm...Ya got a real knot to untie there kid, that's for sure." Blowing out a breath, he asked, "So what do you want to do?"

Ron had been thinking about that pretty hard himself since going for a walk in the park earlier. "I know I want me and Kim to still be friends."

"Even after what she and that other kid did to you?"

"Yep, for sure. I mean yeah it sucks, but I know I don't want to lose either of them as friends. Especially Kim."

A knowing grin slid across Waylen's lips. "Especially Kim huh?" Uh oh Tara Bear, you may be a day late and dollar short this time, he thought to himself.

"Well yeah of course...Hey wait just a minute!" catching the look on Waylen's face, Ron threw his hands up. "It's not like that. We're best friends, the best of friends and nothing more."

"Uh huh." the big guy nodded sagely. "I didn't say a word kid."

Lifting a finger towards the ceiling. "Oh but you were thinking it weren't you?"

Shrugging, the big guy grinned all the more. "Stranger things have happened ya know. Tara's mom and myself started out as friends."

"Well...It's so not like that...me and Kim are...we're not just friends, we're best friends since Pre-K. I couldn't even think of Kim like that."

Even as he said it, images of Kim danced through his thoughts. The way her hair fell over one shoulder. The sound of her laughter. How her lower lip stood out when she destroyed his resolve with her puppy dog pout. Ok hold up! This was getting akwierd to the max. This was this best friend he was thinking about. Head in the game Ron!

"So yeah...um, like I said. We're just friends and nothing else." he pronounced, crossing his arms.

Deciding to let that particular subject rest, Waylen slapped the bag a few times, then braced it with his body. "Here ya go. Give it a few shots. Let's see what ya got."

Ron blinked. "Me?"

"Yeah you."

"I don't know how to box though." Ron explained, relaxing his arms so they hung at his sides.

"Well it is called the Sweet Science, but it all starts with making a fist." Waylen said with a cocky half grin. "So make a fist and use it."

Curling his right hand into a fist, Ron held it up and studied it. "Why am I doing this again?"

"Cause when I have trouble sorting something out I come in here and sweat till the world makes sense remember." He slapped the bag again. "Now hit it."

"I don't understand how-"

"Ron just hit the bag." said an exasperated Waylen.

Ron punched the bag and absolutely nothing happened. He stood there, fist pressed against the bag, eyes squeezed shut. Waylen had been ready to at least feel something, but this was just sad. From what he'd seen earlier in the alley he expected Ron to have some power behind his punch, but he'd felt nothing at all when the teen had hit the bag.

"Ron...pal, look when I say hit the bag I mean really hit it." he explained.

Opening one eye, Ron gave a sheepish nod of his head and stepped back. "I told you I'm not a fighter."

"Yeah I know." Waylen shifted tactics. "You let Kim do all the heavy lifting. You told me that I remember."

"It's not like she can't handle it." Ron's voice was tinged with just a hint of agitation.

"Not like she has a choice." Waylen countered.

"Hey I do my part too."

Putting on a big show of not really believing what he was hearing, Waylen nodded just a little. "Bet you do kid. I bet you do. So you what? Run around like a chicken with it's head cut off while your little girlfriend takes care of the tough stuff."

Ron began glaring now. "She's not my girlfriend!"

Only Waylen didn't let up. "No wonder I never knew you were her sidekick. I mean I remember her name, everybody knows who Kim Possible is, but not you. Guess you like being in the background...where it's safe."

Ron could feel his heart beating in his chest. "It's not like that."

"Like I said kid, a man should be able to stand on his own two feet. A man shouldn't make a woman fight for him. A real man wouldn't let her do all the heavy lifting. He'd do his share, earn his keep."

"I know that." Ron ground through clenched teeth.

"Do you?" Waylen braced behind the bag. "Then why'd you end up tagged like a stray dog kid?"

Ron's fist tightened so hard his nails began to bite into his palm. His entire body was shaking and every breath he took was an effort in and of itself. He was mad, very mad, at everything right now. Kim for betraying him. Waylen for pissing him off and rubbing his nose in it. However he was mostly mad at himself for being the cause of it all. He was such a...

"No." Ron said softly.

"Huh." Waylen said curiously, eyeing the teen from behind the bag.

"I know what you're doing." Coming to a decision, Ron relaxed his hand and slowed his breathing with what he remembered about meditation from Yamanouchi. It was as if Sensei's voice were speaking to him right now.

Anger is like any tool. When used properly it can achieve results beyond expectation. However if you allow your enemy to use your anger against you it will become a terrible burden that will ultimately crush you.

Ron closed his eyes and breathed out softly. "You're trying to piss me off so I'll hit the bag. This isn't the kind of guy you are. I know that even though I barely know you. You can't be that kind of guy and be the awesome dad that you are to Tara. She wouldn't be who she is if her dad was that kind of person either. So I know you're just saying those things to piss me off." opening his eyes, Ron shook his head once. "Not going to happen."

Stepping around the bag, Waylen scratched his head vigorously. Wow. He'd just been put in his place by the kid, but good. "Screwed that up didn't I?"

"Pretty much." Ron said cracking a smile.

"Damn kid you got me." Hoping to move past the utter failure, Waylen pointed towards the door. "So, uh, want to go check out what we can muster for desert?"

Now that was something Ron could give in to. "Oh yeah!"

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A few hours later and Ron was stepping out of Waylen's truck where it sat idling in the driveway of the Stoppable residence. Shutting the door he leaned in and gave a thumbs up.

"Thanks for looking out for me and feeding me." grinning big.

Waylen gave a hearty laugh. "Kid you did most of the cooking."

"Well then...Thanks for hearing me out and trying to help." Ron admitted.

Giving the young man a serious look, Waylen nodded slowy. "Any time Ron. I know life can be tough, but you hang in there. Just take it one step at a time."

Stepping back from the old truck, Ron waved. "I'll do my best."

Putting the truck in gear, Waylen threw a wave of his own out the window. "All any man can do kid."

Ron watched the truck fade into the distance before turning to face his empty house. Well not completely empty he corrected himself. Rufus was in there, no doubt still grinding away on Everlot. The little guy loved that game almost as much as cheese.

"Scary." he said to himself with a grin.

Unlocking the door with his own key this time, Ron entered the house and after checking the answering machine for messages, and no surprise there was none, headed up to his room.

Just as he thought, Rufus was smashing buttons like crazy when he pushed the door to his room open. Noting the empty bags of chips, not to mention the pile of soda cans on the floor, Ron assumed the little gamer had been snacking most of the day.

"Hey Rufus." he greeted as he kicked off his shoes.

Without taking his eyes off the screen, Rufus shushed Ron loudly.

"Ok I get it. Don't mind me. Stay in the zone buddy." Plopping himself onto his bed with a long yawn. He felt like his gas tank was sitting just above E. It had been a heck of a day and all Ron wanted to do right now was crash. However one thing kept running through his mind, just like it had been since leaving the Strong house.

What to do about the whole chip thing?

Honestly he knew that the whole thing was a bad road of akweird wrapped up in sick-wrong. Why couldn't things be easy? He just wished he could hit a button and make this whole thing go away. Just go back to the way things had been. If there was one word that described how he felt right now it was frustrated. Maybe getting some sleep would help him think clearer.

Going to bed early sounded like a great idea, so great in fact that he didn't even bother to put on his pajamas. He just rolled over to face the wall and was soon snoring away.

Across the room Rufus took a moment to glance over at his human friend. There was something off about him lately, something that had the naked mole rat's nerves on edge. He couldn't explain it, but for some reason he had a growing sense of dread whenever Ron was around. It was instinctual, this feeling that made him want to avoid his friend at all costs. Rufus hated feeling that way about Ron, but honestly it wasn't something he could control. Animals are born with survival instincts and right now Rufus was getting a message loud and clear from his.

Ron was dangerous.

Frowning sadly, the little guy's shoulders slumped. He really wished he could help his friend, but what could a naked mole rat do?

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Later that night at the Possible house.

Kim woke to the sound of the Kimmunicator going off. Grabbing it off the nightstand she saw Wade's face. "What's the sitch?"

"Shego." the rotund tech guru was typing away. "Got a hit on the site alone with what looks like video from a phone."

Kim sat up, instantly alert. "Show me."

A blurry video clip began to play with Wade talking over it. "Bystander caught this from street level. Apparently this is a furniture store. Also the description matches Shego. Black and green suit, long black hair, even the glowing green hands."

The video showed a nondescript storefront with its door ripped right off the hinges. The interior was dark, but then a few bright green bursts of light flashed from far back inside the building. The video ended there.

"What would Shego be doing breaking into a furniture store?" Kim asked, even as she got to her feet.

"I asked myself the same thing." Wade agreed. "So I did some checking and turns out that building shares a load bearing wall with the local branch of Middleton Bank."

"So in other words all Shego has to do is blast a hole through the wall and she's in. Still though, why not just go through the front of the bank?" Kim asked even as she began to gather her mission gear.

"One sec..." furious typing. "Got it. Ok this branch of the bank is pretty old. One of the oldest in the state in fact. Seems the safe is no different. Meaning they don't make them like this anymore. We're talking one tough nut to crack, old school style. However the bank's construction cut a few corners."

Drawing up short, Kim facepalmed. "Let me guess. One of the vault's walls just happens to be the same wall the bank shares with the furniture store?"

"Bingo." Wade confirmed before taking a sip of his soda.

Sitting the Kimmunicator down on her bed, Kim changed into her mission outfit, making sure to stay out of Wade's field of view. "Doctor Director will want to know about this."

"Way ahead of you. I took the liberty of passing the video and all information along to Global Justice already. They have a hover jet heading your way as we speak. You got ten minutes."

"You rock Wade." she said as she picked up the Kimmunicator again.

"What about Ron?" the young man asked with trepidation.

This stopped Kim in her tracks. What should she do? He said he wanted space, but this was a mission and Team Possible had been called in. "I...I don't know Wade. Last time I saw Ron he wasn't too happy with me at all."

Wade hadn't heard anything out of either Kim or Ron concerning the chip fiasco and honestly he was just fine with that. He hated confrontation and he'd secretly been hoping they would sort it out themselves and then bring him up to speed on it later. However it seemed things were still a little fresh on the whole how dare they chip Ron without telling him front.

"Well the mission is to subdue Shego and bring her in. No henchmen, no doomsday device, not even Drakken. Technically you could tackle this one alone." he offered meekly, wincing even as he said it.

She considered that for about a second, then shook her head. "No. Ron is part of this team. He's my partner. I'm not going to go without him."

A relieved smile broke over Wade's face. "I'm glad you said that. I'll call him and-"

"No I'll do it." she cut in.

"You sure?" Wade knew he needed to talk to Ron himself and even though right before a mission wasn't the best time, he was ready if need be.

"Yes, but thanks Wade. I got this."

"Gotcha Kim. Contact me once you're on the ground." then the Kimmunicator clicked off.

Tucking the device into a pouch on her belt, Kim took a deep breath, exhaled, then repeated until she felt she was ready to actually call Ron.

"He's your best friend. He does not hate you. You can do this." she wasn't sure she believed herself, but time wasn't on her side.

Picking up the phone she dialed the Stoppable's number. Glancing at the clock she saw it was almost midnight. Even had Ron's parents been home she'd have called anyway. Missions took priority after all. Still though she felt like her stomach was doing flips as she counted the rings. On the fifth ring she heard the click of the receiver picking up.

"Hello." a sleepy sounding Ron mumbled.

Kim tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat.

"Hello?" Ron said again, this time sounding more alert.

"Ron...it's me...Kim." she managed to get out.

There were sounds of movement and then he spoke again. "It's pretty late. Is everything ok?"

She didn't think he sounded upset, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. Facing villains was easy compared to this.

"We have a mission." She hoped he wouldn't get angry with her and refuse to go. If he did that she wasn't sure what she'd do.

"Oh, ok. What's up?" he asked.

Just like that, seriously? Kim bit her bottom lip and let out a breath. Her mom had been right. In the end Ron would be there for her, their friendship had a chance.

"Shego is breaking into one of the Middleton Bank branches and Global Justice wants us to bring her in." giving him the details.

His obvious groan of displeasure came across the phone clearly. "Aw man can't they take care of her?"

She couldn't help but smile. Same old Ron. "Apparently they've been trying to take care of her and coming up short. So they called in the experts."

"Oh yeah? Well I guess it's up to us then." he said with a chuckle.

She felt so much better after hearing that. "Transport will be here in five. Meet you outside."

"Five! As in five minutes!" he yelped.

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Agent Will Du called back from the copilot's seat of the GL hover jet. "Three minutes before we're over the drop zone. You'll have to make an aerial insertion so as not to alert the target. We've already taken care of the police so they won't be a problem. Civilians have been removed from the immediate area. This means you'll have the freedom to make contact with the target and use whatever force you deem necessary to take her down." Agent Du made his next point very clear. "I want to go on record in saying that I'm against bringing you two in. You lack any of the training required to handle this and frankly I don't understand Director's thinking. So with that said keep in mind that I, along with Global Justice task forces will be keeping a perimeter three blocks out. We'll move in to handle things when you fail."

In the back of the hover jet Kim and Ron were standing, gripping one of the many handrails along the ceiling.

"Gee he sounds so confident in us." Ron quipped before sticking his tongue out towards the front of the jet.

"Head in the game Ron." Kim commented as she double checked her gear.

"Yeah I hear ya." Giving the harness he wore another tug just to be sure it wasn't going to fall apart. At least he wasn't going to have to parachute this time. No they would just have to jump out and quick line down to the roof of the building. Swallowing hard he tried not to picture his harness slipping off him as easy as his pants did.

Seeing the apprehension on Ron's face, Kim reached out to grip his arm lightly. "Hey..."

Ron looked at her. "Yeah KP?"

"Thanks...you know, for coming." she offered in a small voice, not quite able to meet his gaze.

He knew what she meant and yes things were still not settled between them, but this was a mission and Ron was not the sort of guy to let his best friend tackle something like this without back up.

"Hey don't sweat it. We're a team right?" his hand covering her own. "We got this." his words hinted at more than just this mission.

Just that simple touch was enough to brush away any doubts that might have been lingering inside her. They would get through this, some how they would, she just kept repeating that to herself.

Agent Du's voice broke into their conversation. "Ready in five...four...three...two...one...Go!"

A door on the side of the hover jet slid open and a blast of warm night air buffeted the teens as they dove out. Less than a minute later and both touched down on the roof, released the lines, and then dumped their harnesses. The hover jet moved off silently and vanished.

Kim moved over to help Ron, but was surprised to find that not only was he not tangled in his harness, but he wasn't pale and shivering from the jump as she had expected him to be. In fact he gave her a curious look as she approached.

"Everything ok?" he asked in a whisper.

Giving him a thumbs up she motioned for him to follow her. With a nod he fell into step and they proceeded to the maintenance door. Kim made quick work of the lock with her laser lipstick and they were inside.

As they made their way down the stairs and into the old furniture store Ron wished that Rufus had come along. It would have been great to have him scout ahead for them, but the little guy said he had an upset stomach. Ron had never known Rufus to get sick no matter how much he ate. In fact if he didn't know any better he would have sworn Rufus didn't want to come with him. Nah, that was just silly.

Holding her hand up, Kim stopped and crouched at the bottom of the steps. Just around the corner was the furniture store's dark interior. This was the point of no return. Ron crouched beside her, neither of them making a sound.

She leaned in close to him, their cheeks almost touching. When she spoke it was barely a whisper. "Ok we go in and head to the back of the store."

"Gotcha." he whispered back.

Kim slid the Kimmunicator from her belt and cued it up. "Wade we're in."

Picking up on the need to be quiet, Wade gave two thumbs up and began typing. After a few seconds he gave a nod, indicating the mission was still a go. Stashing the Kimmunicator back on her belt, Kim gave Ron the go sign and they moved out.

In no time at all they were within sight of the back of the store as they moved past rows of furniture. Something wasn't right though.

"Hey KP I'm not seeing Shego or any big holes in the wall." Ron called out in a subdued voice.

"Me either." she admitted as they crouched at the end of a row of tables. "What gives?"

At that very moment something clanged to the floor in front of them before rolling a few inches. They both saw that it was a slender cylinder of some sort.

"What the-" Ron began just before a blinding flash of green light sent them both sprawling.

"KP!" Ron called out, not caring who heard him now. "I can't see!"

Kim had already come to the same conclusion as she groped around trying to sort out what was going on herself. Her own vision reduced to little more than wobbly shapes. "Ron just stay calm!" but she didn't sound calm herself.

Then a voice spoke up and it was definitely not Shego's. "Well this was disappointingly easy."

The speaker was obviously male, though his deep voice was being modulated somehow so it didn't quite sound human, but instead almost robotic.

"Oh I so don't have a good feeling about this." Ron said as he managed to get to his feet, waving his arms out in front of him.

"Don't worry." the voice offered with a hint of mirth. "Things should be clearing up in a few seconds."

True to his words the two teens found their vision returning rapidly. When they were able to see again however, the sight before them did little to put them at ease. Their attacker stood a few feet away and he was tall and menacing as any foe they had ever faced. From head to toe he was covered in some sort of tactical suit consisting of black and gray sections of armor. His face was covered by a formless mask that lacked eye holes and was made of the same black material that seemed to make up most of his suit. The things that caught Kim's attention the most however were the pistols holstered on his upper thighs and the larger gun that was slung across his back. This was bad.

Ron on the other hand was totally geeking out. "Oh man that is one cool costume! You look like Batman and Ironman had a baby...an evil baby, but oh man it looks so cool!"

The man tilted his head slightly to the side and Ron got the distinct impression there was an eye roll going on under that mask.

"Head in the game Ron." Kim warned as she dropped into a fighting stance.

Ron snapped out of his geek fest and assumed his own fighting stance. "On it KP."

The man opened his arms towards them. "You can not be serious."

Kim stepped forward, still ready to fight. "Who are you and where's Shego? You working with her or what?" she demanded.

With a shake of his head, the man spoke. "I work alone and I am not going to tell you my name."

"You gotta have a name." Ron threw his two cents in. "I mean what are we going to call you? Mr big scary robo dude?"

"I could care less." came the modulated reply.

"Aww man, but you gotta have a cool name." Ron said as he started thinking. "Hmm...Let's see..."

"Let's not." the man stated flatly.

Kim wanted answers and her temper was slowly getting the better of her. "Doesn't matter who you are. We're taking you and Shego down."

Crossing his arms, the man turned his faceless mask in her direction. "Were you not listening? I told you I work alone. Shego isn't here. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm the one who tipped off your little website moderator about tonight. I sent him the video. I arranged this little meeting all on my own."

"Wait...what?" Kim's temper abated, replaced by a really bad feeling.

"It is surprising what one can do with a few green flash bangs and a little camera work. Today's cellphones are quite good in that regard." the man said as he dangled another slender cylinder from his finger tips. "My own design of course. In fact everything I use is custom so you can forget matching it to anything in the very rare chance that you actually manage to get any of it that is."

"You talk a big game for somebody I've never heard of." Kim countered defiantly.

Lifting a finger, the man smugly retorted. "That is the entire point. You haven't heard of me because I'm good at what I do. Unlike the two of you."

Ron took a step forward. "Hey you take that back!"

The man focused on Ron. "Ronald Dean Stoppable. Age seventeen, approximately five foot and ten inches, most likely will clear six foot before you are twenty. You live with your parents who are hardly ever involved with your life so their names aren't important enough to mention. No other siblings. A surprising number of friends despite your social standing. Oh and you have a naked mole rat for a pet. How cute."

Ron's blood ran cold. "H-How do you know that?"

"Don't let him rattle you Ron." Kim warned, even though she was just as shaken by what she'd just heard.

"Kimberly Ann Possible. Age sixteen, soon to be seventeen. You live with your parents Ann and James Possible. You have two siblings, twin boys, Jim and Tim. High social status, so no surprise you have many friends. Over achiever and driven to win."

Now it was Kim's turn to squirm under the gaze of a man who's face she couldn't even see.

"See how easy it is to know your enemy when they take no actions to conceal their identities?" the man went on in his deep robotic voice. "The two of you flaunt before cameras and do nothing to protect the other people in your lives. You are a hazard, both of you, with little regard for your actions. To you these little missions are nothing more than playing at being heroes. You've absolutely no idea of the true scope of the big bad world out there." gesturing towards the front of the store.

"We're not playing!" Kim proclaimed with a raised fist.

Stepping up beside her, Ron matched her stance. "Yeah! We're the real deal pal."

The man threw his head back and laughed loud before lowering his gaze back onto them. "You think because you take on the likes of Dementor and Motor Ed that you are heroes? You can not be that stupid. Your greatest threat is Shego and even she is doing little more than playing dress up as villains go. Even the word villain is just so cliché. As if the world is black and white."

"You're either good or evil pal." Ron stated. Oh he was so not liking this guy at all. He just rubbed him the wrong way.

"Wrong." the man corrected. "One is either successful or not. Good and evil are concepts people use to define their actions or thoughts when held against a moral precept put forth by the majority of those they are surrounded by. In truth every person holds the potential to do whatever they desire. All that is required is the will and means to accomplish it. Under the right circumstances all of us can and would do things that you would label evil."

"Um...KP...translate?" Ron's brain was one level above jello at this point.

"He's insane." was all she said.

"Got it. Insane. I can understand that." Ron quipped.

The man pointed at Kim. "Yes because it is so much easier to just label me rather than understand me. Though it matters not. I did not come here to debate with you. I came to deliver an ultimatum."

"You going to do that before or after I knock that stupid mask off your face?" stepping even closer as she said it, Kim was just about ready to make good on her threat. She'd been inching closer to her target this whole time and she was just about ready to attack.

"Stop playing the hero and forget Team Possible altogether." the man said with finality.

Ron blinked a few times, then stuck his little finger in an ear and twisted it as if cleaning it. "I'm sorry, but come again?"

"You heard me. Team Possible is done. Go home, forget all about these silly missions of yours and just go on living as normal teenagers."

Kim cocked a single brow high. "You have got to be kidding me. You don't really think we're going to do that do you?"

The man took a deep breath and squared off against them. "You will do as I say or you will learn your limitations...painfully."

"I'll show you limitations!" Kim threw herself forward.

Leaping high into the air she sent a kick right for that freaky mask, but the man just stepped aside. Landing in a crouch she spun around, sweeping with a low kick. Her foot collided with his leg and went no further. It was like kicking a tree!

"Ow!" she yelped in pain.

"KP look out!"

Ron's warming caused her to roll to the side just before the man's boot could crush her leg underfoot. She had no doubt he would have broken it had he hit his mark. Getting to her feet, she moved around her foe cautiously.

"You waste far too much energy with your antics girl. All that jumping around is for the movies. In the real world a fight is far more brutal than that."

As if to make his point he moved quick as thought, but not towards Kim, but rather Ron. Taken completely by surprise, Ron doubled over when the man drilled a back kick into his gut. He couldn't catch his breath no matter how hard he tried and collapsed to his knees holding his stomach.

"Ron!" Kim launched herself at the man. "Get away from him!"

Turning to face her, he easily countered her attacks with almost no effort on his part it seemed. She couldn't land a single strike. His moves were compact, quick, and powerful. Every time he blocked a strike she felt like she was hitting stone. She just couldn't get past his defense, but she couldn't let up. Ron was down and might be hurt bad. She had to pick up the pace, she had to win!

The man caught her leg with one arm, holding it to his side. "You see how inept you are? This isn't one of your missions Kim Possible." Yanking her off balance he grabbed her throat with his other hand. "I am not one of your laughable villains."

Kim tried to breathe, but his grip was like a vise slowly cutting off her air supply. She punched and elbowed his arm to no avail. She even tried clawing at it with her nails, but that was even less effective.

The man held her aloft with frightening ease. "You see. This is reality. This is the truth you could not or would not see. In the real world, against real odds, your efforts are laughable at best and fatal at worst."

Kim could feel her struggles getting weaker. Already her vision was swimming. This was bad, so so bad. This guy was winning! This couldn't be happening. Her arms were so heavy she was having trouble lifting them now. It wasn't a lack of will that kept her from turning the tables on this new enemy, but her body was failing her. It was simple enough. No air, no fight.

Once Kim went slack in his grip, the man dropped her to the floor in a heap. "The outcome was inevitable." his deep robot voice pronounced as he looked down at her.

"...KP..." Ron's voice was a pain filled groan.

Glancing towards the other teen the man was surprised to see him slowly rising to his feet. He had been sure his kick was enough to keep that one down entirely. All the data he had on Ronald Dean Stoppable told him this, however being prepared for alterations to his plans was something he was well versed in. This would be no different.

"I commend you." the man stated. "However your efforts will change nothing."

Ron wobbled and would have fallen if not for the table he braced himself against. His stomach felt like it had been turned inside out. Every breath was agony, but the worst of it all was seeing Kim laying there at that man's feet. This wasn't how things went. This was wrong.

"KP?" wincing when he tried to take a step away from the table.

"She's right here." pointing to where she lay motionless. "Do you understand the reality of what it is you do now? The danger you place not only yourselves, but those dear to you in? Take this to heart and consider it a learning experience."

"...no...KP..."

"Team Possible is done."

What happened next surprised both Ron and the masked man. With an angry scream Ron charged madly forward. The man braced, meeting the charge head on. They locked hands in a power struggle that Ron should have lost instantly. The man was bigger, had far more training, and years of experience, but to his surprise the smaller teen was holding his own.

"I'll show you who's done!" Ron shouted at the man's faceless mask.

Ron began to push the man back and away from where Kim lay. He didn't want this guy anywhere near Kim. He wouldn't allow that. He'd stop him no matter what.

"Interesting." the man said calmly. Well this wasn't anywhere in his data. The young man was operating outside all calculated levels.

"Shut up." Ron said through clenched teeth as he pushed even harder. All he could think was to keep the guy away from Kim. Just keep him from hurting her more than he already had.

"I suppose you are right. The time for conversation is over." the man agreed before driving an armored knee into Ron's gut so hard it lifted him off the ground.

A fresh explosion of pain spread through Ron and he almost puked has he let out a huge gush of air. Oh man that hurt so so much he thought.

The man let go of Ron's hands, then grabbed a handful of his blond hair. With no words he turned and took a few steps before driving Ron face first into the brick wall at the back of the store. There was a crunch as Ron's nose broke with a spray of blood, then he slumped to the floor.

"This could have gone far smoother if only the two of you had listened to reason." the man lamented to himself. Quite sure now that both teens were down for the count. "The perils of youth I suppose."

He turned towards the front of the store and began walking away. Inside his helmet he could hear the Global Justice forces on what they thought were secure lines. Pathetic. All of this was just too easy. All of them were far too simple to be any real threat. Still, it was best to nip these things in the bud before they could develop into problems later on.

Looking down at Kim Possible as he went by he felt no remorse. He had made his case clear. In fact one could say he was actually doing them a favor. Playing at being heroes was a fast track to death once the facade of it all came crashing down. The real world was far too dangerous for the likes of them. Of that he was quite sure.

A deep rumbling growl stopped him dead in his tracks. A tingle of something ran down his spine. Was that fear? Was he actually feeling fear right now? How very odd. Turning to look back he saw Ronald Dean Stoppable reaching up to touch the wall with a hand, the very same wall that had broken his nose and even now was splattered with his blood.

"Resilient one aren't you?" the man said half to himself.

Ron's hand tensed, his fingers digging into the bricks, sending a spiderweb of cracks through several of them. He pulled himself up slowly.

Another growl reached the man's ears and he was certain now that it came from the young man who was standing with one arm hanging limply at his side. Ron looked up, locking his eyes onto the man, his all too blue eyes.

"What is this?" the man felt the tingle of fear race down his spine again.

Ron didn't say a word as he tore his fingers free of the wall, sending a little shower of dust and broken bits to the floor. His chest heaved so hard his entire body seemed to swell with every breath. Blood covered one half of his face, but his nose was straight as if it had never been broken. When his lips parted to let another growl slip past them the man could clearly see that Ron's canine teeth were larger than they should have been on both the upper and lower jaw. It gave the young man a very feral look. One that went hand in hand with the threatening growl that once again was filling the air. However his eyes were the most disturbing change. They were almost glowing and were the clearest, softest blue the man had ever seen.

Just as he was about to formulate a theory on all this Ron cut his train of thought short with an inhuman burst of speed that took him from the wall and clear across the room.

The man braced again, but this time when Ron collided with him it was no contest. With a roar Ron bulldozed both of them not just into, but through a row of dressers, in fact they went through several rows of various furniture. The man's armor did it's job protecting him from the onslaught of broken wood and metal, but the pressure Ron was exerting against him was off the charts. This defied all explanation.

"Ok that's enough of that." the man said, sounding off his game for the first time.

Twisting he was able to deflect Ron's charge and let him barrel past. Before the teen could catch himself the man stepped in with a powerful punch to the lower back that nearly toppled Ron with it's force. His response to the attack was to turn and swipe a hand at the man along with an angry howl of pain.

Taking a step back, the man studied Ron, trying to make sense of what was going on. No matter what rational thought said, he felt distinctly as if he were dealing with a wild animal now rather than simply a teenager.

Ron wanted to hurt this man. Wanted to smash that stupid mask in. Crush his face. Break his arms. Snarling he flung himself at the thing that had challenged him. He landed on the man much like a monkey would, with his feet pressing into the man's sides as his hands gripped the thick chest plate of his armor. Now face to face with the thing that had hurt Kim he couldn't help but roar a challenge. Ron's voice filled the store, shaking the windows and sending the man staggering back not only from the sudden weight and impact of his body, but the primal rage that Ron felt spilling out. It was like something was clawing it's way up his throat and all it wanted to do was destroy this man.

Ok this was getting out of hand the man thought as he staggered back. Taking hold of the teen's wrists he tried to pull him off, but to no avail. Ron just kept roaring into his face, not screaming, no this was most definitely a roar. Nothing in his data had prepared him for this and despite his ability to adapt in the line of work, he knew now was not the time. Now was the time to abort and recoup. He needed time to analyze all this new data and incorporate it into his plan.

"Alright then." then man grunted as he tried in vain to free himself of Ron. "Slight change of plan."

Reaching down he pulled a small disk from a compartment on his belt, then threw it to the ground. Instantly a cloud of gas surrounded them both, but unlike him, Ron didn't have a built in air filtration system like the man's mask did. Soon Ron's hold began to slacken and not long after he crumpled to the floor out cold.

Stepping back from the surprising teen, the man took a moment to clear his thoughts. The girl had been as expected, but this was something else. He would have to study his targets in greater detail.

Looking up towards the front of the store he heard the sound of many boots approaching fast. A quick check of the Global Justice transmissions told him they were on the move and closing in.

"Another time." he said to the downed heroes before vanishing into the darkness.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello again. I hope all of you are well. I just wanted to share some humbling news. Desslock3, author of the amazing story "Ron's Diner" has given me permission to carry on where his story left off. So despite how nervous I am to attempt it, the thrill of it is was just too much. I've begun my own story called "Ron's Diner: Under new management" with the intention of picking up where the original left off and putting my own spin on things. I'm amazed at the warm reception it's already gotten after only one chapter. I am so thankful for all the great people on this site.

So if you want to check out a great story please go read Desslock3's "Ron's Diner" and then, if you feel like it you can check out my new take on things.

Once again thank you all.