Disney owns everything, we own squat, as much as we might wish otherwise. Well... I really blew things, didn't I? Months to update? Ouch, I should be tarred and feathered for the interminable delay. But it's here folks, so have some mercy on me please.

Oh, and this has NOT been beta-read, so I accept any and all errors in spelling and grammer, especially since I am only working with Wordpad.

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The Darkness Within - Chapter 11 by Zaratan

James Possible banked hard to the right, narrowly avoiding the missle as it streamed by, smacking into the mountainside with enough force to rock the ship. It had managed to get a lock before he could engage the stealth systems, and had had to spend a few moments sweating as he dodged the fiery projectile. But with that last obstacle removed, he could breath a little easier. Everything confirmed that the cloak was holding, and nothing further had managed to lock on. With a sigh, he set the auto-pilot and quickly headed back to the passenger section of the plane. What he saw there though shocked him.

He had only caught a glimpse of the young woman before she had boarded the plane, and he hadn't recognized her at the time. Even when he first saw her huddled in the seat, her body shaking in what could only be described as incredible anguish, there had been no immediate recognition there, simply assuming she was anouther innocent victem of Bortel. Now that he could see her more clearly, even with the red-rimmed eyes and abject posture, he recognized her almost instantly. Ann had been reading an article about her work just a few weeks ago, remarking on some of the incredible work she had been doing in the field of neurology. Dr. Johnson's picture had been clearly visible in the article, and he felt his heart catch in his throat as he saw what had once been a confident, vibrant woman reduced to nothing more than a scared child.

"Dr. Johnson?"

The woman before him started, her eyes wide and frightened. Instinctively, she backed up, pressing herself as deep into the cushions. James spread his hands out beside himself, trying to show her he wouldn't get any closer. "It's all right, I'm not going to hurt you."

"How do you know my name?"

James knelt down on the floor of the plane, so that he could look up at her and appear less threatening. "My wife is a neuro-surgeon, she reads a lot about your work. My name is James Possible, are you all right?"

Nicole stopped pressing herself against the seat as hard, noting opnly the concern in his features. Slowly, she pulled herself up, though she still kept her distance. "Possible?" She mulled the name over, assuring herself. "I've heard of your wife, she was an inspiration of mine. My sister mentioned she was really nice when she talked to her, even though she couldn't help."

James remembered some more of the article now, even though he had really only glanced through it, mostly due to Anne's enthusiasm regarding the subject. "I'm sorry about that. Are you all right though?"

Her left hand came up, wiping her eyes hastily. "I will be... I'm sorry, I'm normally much better composed than this. I just..."

Now James may have been clueless regarding many things, least of which was women. Of course, what man could ever really truly understand women? But one thing he had learned very early on from his wife, and later his daughter, was to spot when a woman really needed to let loose and cry. "Doctor Johnson... do you..."

That broke the dam for Nicole, and ignoring her earlier fear, fell quickly into James' arms, sobbing uncontrolably. The entire time they were making their escape, she had fought the urge. But now, now she was safe. She was away from there, and she could give vent to all the pain and helplessness she was feeling.

James wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her close. Slowly, he stroked her hair, whispering conforting nothings to her as if she were but a child. And despite her age, her intelligence, her maturity, that's what this poor women seemed like. James closed his eyes, fighting the growing rage within him. She had just escaped the clutches of this monster, and his little girl, his Kimmie-cub, was still in there. Every parental instinct within him wanted to turn this plane around, storm through whatever Bortel had in there, and throttle the man to within an inch of his life. It was the closest he had ever come to wanting to kill someone, and that scared him. No matter what happened, Bortel would pay for this.

Nicole sobbing slowed, as James slowly stroked her hair. Slowly, she disengaged from him, wiping hard at her red, puffy eyes. "Thank you, I... I needed that."

James nodded, keeping one hand on her arm gently. "I'm glad I could help. Are you going to be okay for a little bit? I have to go back up to the cockpit, and let my family and friends know the mission failed."

Nicole started, turning quickly. "No, it didn't fail." She turned back, holding a disk in her hands. "We have all of... of Bortel's work here."

James' eyes widened at the sight of the disk. "Everything?"

Nicole nodded slightly, wiping her eyes away again. "Everything. I knew where he kept all his data, since he... he..."

"Shhh..." James moved closer again, running one hand up and down her back. Seeing that look of pain and hurt in her eyes made her seem so young. "Don't worry now, it's over. He can't hurt you any more."

Nicole sniffled, looking up into James' eyes. He could see a hardness there now, a determination. "Promise me... promise me he will pay. Please?"

James held her head gently, and she sobbed again on his shoulder. "I promise you, he will pay."

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Yori watched the departing forms of Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible with great joy, though she made sure that none of what she was feeling was evident on her features. She glanced briefly up at the security monitor before closing her eyes, allowing her mind to sink deep into her meditative state. Though things had not gone as well as she had hoped, things could have gone worse. For now, they were free of Bortel's control, and they were armed with considerable knowledge, both what they had managed to send with James Possible and Nicole Johnson, and what information they had just gleaned now.

Yori allowed her mind to sink deeper into a trance state, a technique Sensei had taught her for just such situations. Her mind quested outward, looking for that unmistakable signal that she could be heard. Surely by now, Dr. Possible had contacted Yamanouchi and conveyed what had happened, and Sensei would be listening for her. It didn't take long before she heard his comforting voice in her head.

"I am glad that you are well Yori. When Dr. Possible contacted us, we feared the worst."

Just hearing Sensei gave Yori a sense of warmth. She hoped someday she too could master the technique to do this on her own, rather than relying on Sensei to do everything, but just knowing that he was there for his students was a comfort.

"We are indeed well Sensei, and my hopes proved true. Ron Stoppable and Kim Possible are indeed free of Bortel's control, and only wait for an oppurtune moment to strike."

Yori could sense the relief in Sensei's 'voice'. "That is indeed good news. Do you know of their plans yet? Will they need anything to accomplish their aims?"

"I don't know Sensei. We are being monitored, so Stoppable-san could not convey all that they wished. He has asked us to be patient, to wait for our moment to strike. I have faith that they will not let that moment pass."

Yori could feel the assent from Sensei even before he spoke. "I understand. We will continue to do what we can to twart Bortel from the outside, and leave dealing with him in your hands. Let us know when we should initiate the second phase of Agent Du's plan, the pieces are moving into place as we speak."

"Understood Sensei. Good luck."

"And to you as well my student."

Yori felt the link dissipate, and felt the brief loss as the connection was broken. Her head slumped briefly before it rose again, her eyes blinking as they readjusted to the light of their cell. Maintaining her expression, she cast a brief glance at Will, and he nodded in understanding.

Will Du had been watching Yori as she sat in meditation, and knew that their information was being passed on to those who could help. It wasn't a situation Will enjoyed, having to depend on others, but he could not help but have faith in the raven haired beauty. He shook his head at that thought, chastizing himself for his inappropriate thought when they were in the middle of a dangerous situation. When she raised her head finally and looked to him, he knew what he had to do.

Will slumped back against the wall, groaing slightly, yet loud enough for the security systems to pick up on it. Yori was there by his side, her look of concern appearing genuine, as she looked down at his injured shoulder.

"Will, you are hurt."

"I'm fine Yori, it's just a flesh wound." Will glanced up at the camera, before settling his gaze on Yori.

Yori just clucked at him like a disapproving parent scolding a child. "It is not all right Will. Let me look at this." Yori spent a moment looking over the wound, and Will gave a not-so-fake wince as she touched it. Without a word, she ripped one of the sleeves off her gi, binding the wound tightly. Her fingers paused over the loose strands of fabric, her hands shaking just slightly. "Will..."

Will raised a hand to her chin, gently stroking her cheek. "Shhh, it will be all right, I won't let anything happen to you. I'm sorry I got you into this."

Yori's arms quickly wound there way around Will, and he pulled her tight, burying his face in her hair. Dash looked on in confusion, glancing over at his teammates. "When did this happen?"

Yori allowed herself a smile now that the camera could no longer see her face. Her voice was barely a whisper, but that hardly mattered with how close they were. "Well played Du-san. That was a most convincing performance."

"Spent two years taking acting lessons. I figured it would come in handy some day." Will shifted his hands slightly, as if consoling her. "I take it you got the same message I did from that little exchange with Stoppable?"

"Hai. It looks like my faith in Ron-san and Possible-san were not misplaced. They are free of Bortel's control."

"And Sensei? Were you able to deliver your message?"

Yori stiffened slightly before relaxing once more. "How did you know of that?"

"I didn't, it was just a guess. I figured Sensei would have a few tricks up his sleeve besides the astral projection thing."

Yori smirked a bit. "Yes, I did pass my message on. Sensei is aware of the situation, both regarding our capture and Team Possible's pending assistance. He his moving our forces into position and they only await word."

Will frowned slightly, closing his eyes, trying to ignore the smell of her hair. "I still don't know if I like putting my life in the hands of Ron Stoppable."

"Do you have faith in me?"

The question gave Will pause, but it was only a minor one. "Yes, I have faith in you."

"Then believe in my faith regarding Ron-san, as well as Possible-san."

Yori pulled away slowly, and Will could see the small tear running down her cheek. Gently, he wiped the tear away with his thumb, and Yori smiled, moving to sit beside him, keeping one arm wrapped around him. He leaned his head over until it was touching hers, once again allowing him to smell the faint hint of jasmine that seemed to linger. He was being truthful, he did have faith in her, and that was not something he gave easily. If she trusted that Kim and Ron would find a way to save them, he would trust in that as well.

Will took a moment to simply enjoy the feel of Yori's arms around him. Sure, it could simply be acting, just as his had been for the most part, but he couldn't help the feelings she inspired in him. Maybe, when this was all said and done and they had saved the world, he might ask her to join him for dinner or something. It gave him something to focus on as they sat waiting for their oppurtunity.

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Kim and Ron could barely contain themselves as they made their way to their room. Ron had quickly joined up with her after his little talk with Yori, and he had to get to his girlfriend to tell her all the details. They forced themselves to walk slowly, making sure to grin when people passed them in the halls, until they finally threw open the door to their room, and they allowed themselves a moment to relax. The pair of them had been checking for surveilance devices constantly, just so that they had a place where they could talk comfortably.

When the door closed behind them, Ron sank to the floor, his eyes closing as he took a moment to deflate. "Oh man KP..."

Kim moved to the bed, sitting down slowly. "I know Ron, I know. But look at it this way, now we know for sure that we have help, both on the outside and on the inside."

Ron looked up from where he was sitting, looking to Kim hopefully. "Do you think Yori got my message? I tried to be subtle, but..."

"She got it Ron, I'm sure of it. Of course, now we have to work on the plan a little bit. We only have hours before Bortel is ready to start, and we have to get ready here. Rufus?" The little naked mole rat poked his head out of Ron's pocket, looking expectantly. "We need you to do as much damage to Bortel's systems as possible and as quietly as possible. We need to disable that system as much as we can to prevent the controls from activating the satelites. We may not have been able to tamper with the satelites themselves, but we can still stop the signal from getting to them.

Rufus nodded, and he waited expectantly for Ron to open the door before he took off down the hallway.

Ron moved over to the bed beside Kim after clsing the door, nodding. "What about me KP, what should I do?"

Kim winced as she looked at her boyfriend. "I need you to get the message to Yori and Will of when we strike, as well as get them the means to break out of the cell and join us at the appropriate time."

Ron nodded thoughtfully. "That doesn't sound so bad KP, what was with the look?"

Kim glanced down at the floor before looking back up. "Because we don't know what places have surveilance and which ones don't. They're probably going to be monitored twenty-four seven, so... you'll have to make it look like an interrogation."

Now Ron winced at the thought. "Ouch, now I see why the look."

Kim gave Ron a look, seeing his reaction. "You can do this, can't you? I mean..."

"I got it KP, no worries."

"And you'll need to do it before any of the others get the idea to decide to interogate them either."

Ron's eyes went wide at that thought, as he remembered Bortel's angry yelling earlier regarding Yori. "I've got it KP, no need to worry there. But whet are you going to do?"

"I'm heading to the main control room. I'm hoping I can snap Wade out of this, I'd much rather have him on our side than not."

Ron shook his head vigourously. "I don't know KP, that sounds risky. What if he just gets suspicious?"

"I know Ron, I know, but I have to try. He's our friend, I have to try. And maybe I can get Bonnie too. I know I don't exactly like her that much, but she's not evil."

"KP, I took a HUGE chance with you, and we've got years of history together. Look at what you went though to break free, I've still got a couple bruises.":

"I have to try!" Kim's tone was sharp, but she took a deep breath right after, calming down. "I'm sorry Ron, I didn't mean it like that."

Ron wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. "No worries KP, this whole sitch has got us on edge as it is."

The two held each other for a few moments, before finally pulling away. Kim decided to reveal the rest of her plan. "Ron, trying to snap them out of it isn't the only thing I plan on doing. I have to find out if Bortel still has the hand-held unit on him, and find some way to disable it."

Now Ron was on his feet. "No way KP, that is way to risky. He'd be completely on to you if you did something like that."

"Ron, if I don't, then there is almost no point in facing him directly. He'd just zap us right off, and except for Shego, we'd all just be his puppets again. I have to take out the hand-held unit for our plan to work."

"No KP, not you. I'll take Bortel, you handle the Yori sitch."

Kim reached up to grab Ron's hands, pulling him back to the bed. "Ron, I'll be fine. I don't know how I'll handle it yet, but I'll find a way. After all, just check my name."

Ron gave a half-hearted chuckle, before falling back onto the bed. "This is one really messed up sitch, isn't it?"

Kim fell back as well, and Ron wrapped an arm around and under her, giving her a squeeze. "Yeah Ron, it sure is."

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"This is bad... very bad."

That was an understatement as James Possible scanned through the data. He had been surprised to find that this rustic looking school had the equivilent of a super computer in one of the larger buildings, as well as a fully intergrated computer lab. Sensei had just smiled, explaining that the art of the ninja had to adapt to changing times, though he had used more colourful expressions in getting the point across.

James had heard from Nicole just how bad things seemed, but seeing it in detail, with blueprints and timelines just set things to being that much more real. He glanced up at his wife, who just placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. Ron's parents looked on from one side, still not certain what they were seeing. "James, what is this? What's going on?"

Jim and Tim squeezed their way up to the front, peering in on the screen from either side of their father. "Oh man, this is..."

"... bad. The satelites are all..."

"...in place, and it looks like we have..."

"...eleven hours until he takes over the world."

James punched off the screen, looking at his family and friends. "That's not going to happen. Sensei says that Kimmie-Cub and Ronald aren't under that madman's control any longer, and we're out here to stop Bortel as well. We're going to stop him!"

Sensei nodded sagely. "Agreed." The old man turned to his student. "Hirotaka, you will join the rest of the students. I will be in contact with further alumni, to ensure the size of our fighting force. You will lead the strike when we have been given appropriate signal has been given."

Hirotaka bowed, and quickly departed the room. Sensei turned and nodded to his other guests. "I will remain here, and coordinate the strike on the exterior of the facility, as well as keep in communication with Yori on the inside."

James nodded, turning back to the computer. "With teams on the inside and outside, that just leaves the satelites. And I think I have just the plan!" He punched in a few commands to the computer, and smiled when the image popped up on the screen. "The XL 2400, designed for the harshest radiation. It's space-worthy, we were planning on launching it next week. I'll tell my people to prep it for launch now, so it will be ready for when we get there."

Gene Stoppable just stared at his friend. "You're not thinking what I think you're thinking, are you?"

Jim and Tim just grinned at each other, sharing high fives. "A space flight! Hicka bicka boo!"

"Hoosha!"

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Kim found Bonnie with Junior in the cafeteria. She grinned at the thought; almost like in high school, the room had basically been divided into cliques, and Bonnie of course sat at the head table, even though she had really done nothing to warrent it here. She was feeding Junior, who was returning the favour, in between kisses. Kim just shook her head, and quickly moved into the room, stopping to grab some food as she did. She had been pleasantly surprised to find the food quite good, Bortel had obviously captured a chef when he was starting out.

Kim moved over to Bonnie's table, trying to smile as best she could. When she sat down, Bonnie just glared at her. "What do you want Kim, can't you see I'm trying to eat, or did you want me to lose my appetite?"

Kim fought the urge to respond, though she was sorely tempted. "I just wanted to talk to you, to clear the air."

Bonnie turned to her companion, smiling brightly. "Honey, do you think you can give us a moment? I have to clear out a pest."

Junior pouted, his tone whiny. "But we were just having lunch, and you promised that dessert..."

Bonnie silenced him quickly, placing a finger on his lips. "Just go get me anouther fruit cup sweetie, all right?"

Junior sighed, then smiled. "You know I spoil you my Sweetness."

The pair exchanged a series of kisses that wanted to drive Kim into a diabetic shock, but she just waited until Junior left the table. Bonnie turned to Kim with a smirk. "Isn't he just the cutest, all muscley and sweet. And he's rich! Too bad your BF could never match up to that."

Kim ignored the dig for now, instead focusing at the task at hand. "Bonnie, I was hoping we could put our little troubles behind us."

Bonnie looked at her incredulously. "Behind us? You put me in the hospital."

"And you got me captured by Global Justice, I'd say we're even on that score." Kim paused from what she was saying, taking a bite of her food, ignoring the look from Bonnie. "Anyways, if we are going to be working together now, I figure we should should at least try to get along."

Bonnie just smirked back. "Oh, I don't need to do anything. In a couple of days, Junior and I will be heading down to the Caribbean to take over and govern our portion of the world. Dr. Bortel gave us Central America and the Caribbean, and we plan to enjoy it."

Kim blinked at that revelation. Bortel had never discussed the parceling of the world to her or Ron. Now she was curious. "So he just gave you a chunk of the world? I didn't think you had any asperations for world conquest."

"Oh, I don't." Bonnie flipped her hair, smiling. "But he said if I kept doing my job, the territory was ours. Personally, I'm looking forward to living in a tropical paradise, even if it is the smallest territory. I hear Drakken wasn't too pleased to lose a chunk of his territory in the deal, but hey, what do I care. Anyways, as I was saying, I really don't care if we get along or not, we'll each have our own territories to control." Bonnie smirked, looking intently at Kim. "So K, what did you and the loser end up with anyways?"

Kim cast one last glance at Bonnie, suddenly realizing that there didn't seem to be a chink in the armour to break Bonnie out of Bortel's control. Without a word, she took off, with Bonnie's laughter trailing along behind her. She couldn't afford to say anything that would lead to suspicions, not this early in the plan. She left the cafe, intent on finding Wade. She only hoped she could find something she could use to snap Wade out of it. Also, the thought that Bortel was parceling terrirtories yet hadn't talked to either Kim or Ron about it left a nagging doubt in her mind. Maybe it was simply that he was intent on keeping the two of them close at hand, but something didn't seem right with that thought. She moved that thought to the back of her mind for now though, focusing on what she had to accomplish next; getting her friend to see the light.

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Ron was flanked by a couple of guards as he approached the cell. He tried to keep a sneer on his face, as he moved quickly. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he hoped Will understood what had to be done.

When he approached the cell, he stopped, surprised. While Team Impossible were still sitting where they had been, looking morose, Yori and Will were curled up together, holding each other tight, as they seemed to be dozing comfortably together. Ron suppressed the urge to chuckle at the thought of the two of them, and set the plan in motion.

Ron kept his voice hard, which was difficult, but he knew he had to do it. "Now isn't this a pretty picture."

Five heads shot up quickly, turning to look at him. Team Impossible just glared at him, but both Yori and Will shot him understanding looks. It was the first indication that they had gotten his message.

Will and Yori quickly got their feet, approaching the bars of the cell. Will gripped the bars, an angry look coming over him. "What do you want now Stoppable? Here to gloat?"

Ron smiled a cruel smile, something he had practiced in the mirror for some time before heading over here to make sure he got it right. "Willy boy, you've got me all wrong. I'm not here to gloat. I am however here to get some answers from you." Ron nodded to the guards, and they raised their weapons, pointing them at the occupants of the cell. "I think it's time we had a little chat."

Yori shot forward, and Ron heard the click of weapons behind him. Ron stopped her with a glare. "I wouldn't do that Yori, wouldn't want to see you hurt. It's not yet time for that."

Yori paused, before backing up a couple of steps. She gave a brief nod of her head, barely perceptable, one that Ron barely caught, but he knew his message had been conveyed.

The cell door was opened, and the guards reached in, grabbing Will and pulling him out of the cell. Ron turned back to the cell, smiling. "Don't you worry, your boyfriend is in good hands. "And hey, if he likes to talk, he'll be back here no worse for wear."

Yori sank back into her previous spot, looking upset, and Ron wondered briefly if she had indeed heard the content of his message. But when the guards turned away with their prisoner, Yori flashed him a brief smile, barely there, and Ron let out a sigh of relief. Yori was acting the part as well. With one final nod, he turned away, following the guards.

It didn't take them long to get where they were going, an interrogation room had been set up pretty close to the cells themselves. Ron followed in behind the guards, and watched as they strapped Will into the chair, restraining his arms and then his legs, as they bound him helplessly into a sitting position. When they were done, the pair moved over to the door, watching the prisoner and Ron.

But Ron had other ideas. "Leave us."

The guards shared a glance, before turning back to Ron. "We were under orders not to let the prisoner out of our sight."

Ron's face took on a look of fury, and he advanced quickly on the two men. "Are you disobeying MY orders?"

The men paled visibly, shaking their heads. "No sir, sorry sir." The two guards left quickly, and Ron was finally alone with Will.

Will seemed to breath a sigh of relief as well. "Stoppable, what..."

Ron crossed the room quickly. "You'll speak only when I ask you a question, you got that?"

Will's eyes widened, and Ron quickly grabbed Will by the hair, taking care not to rip, and pulled Will's head back. "I said have you got that?"

Will grimaced slightly, but responded. "Yes."

Ron leaned forward, until he was close enough to whisper. Once he had, the fury fell from his face, and his expression was almost pitiful. "I'm really REALLY sorry about this, but it was the only idea we could come up with to get you something to escape with, and I didn't want anyone else to try and interrogate you. If some of them got their hands on Yori..."

Will was quick to respond. "Stoppable, I have to admit, I didn't think you had this in you. I'm pleased to see that Yori's faith in you is not misplaced."

Ron released Will's head, and walked around the chair, the cruel smile reappearing. "You're going to tell us who else you have talked to about us and this place. Who was the pilot of that plane that tried to rescue you and made off with the good doctor's toy?"

Will just smirked, turning his head to look at Ron. "You think you can scare me? Dream on. You're nothing but a buffoon."

Ron's fist shot out, catching Will on the chin, before grabbing Will by the hair and pulling his head back again. Ron's voice was a quiet whisper again. "I'm sorry about that, but I..."

"You're going to have to hit harder if you want to make this believable. That tap won't even leave a bruise, and we need to make this look real."

Ron's voice shot up, but he got control of himself quickly. "Harder? Wha..."

"Don't worry about me, I can take it."

For the next fifeteen minutes, the two exchanged information as quietly as possible, while to the monitors it looked like Ron was really working him over, as blood trickled slowly from the slpit lip and broken nose Will endured. Finally, Ron was finally ready to end the charade, as he was really getting sick to his stomach with what he was doing. He grabbed Will by the cheeks, forcing his mouth open, his expression one of uncontrolled fury. "Tell me what I want to know!" Before letting go, he planted a small lockpick he had confiscated from Yori's materials on Will's tongue, and the agent quickly tucked it under his tongue.

"You're not giving up already, the show has been most entertaining."

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Kim watched Wade briefly, as the young genius worked leasurely on the computer in front of him. Kim took a deep breath, finally approaching him from behind and placing a hand on his shoulder. Wade started, and whirled to face her.

"Kim, what are you doing, you scared me half to death."

"Sorry Wade, my bad." Kim paused to look at the screen and smiled. "So Wade, what are you working on?"

Wade glanced up at Kim, eyeing her warily. "You've never been interested before."

Kim shrugged as she sat down in the seat beside him. "I guess I just wanted to find something to break the ice. I've noticed a bit of tension between us for a while, and wanted to clear the air."

Wade turned back to the monitor, continuing to work. "We're good. It's just..."

"It's because of the way I treated you and Ron when Global Justice was messing with me, isn't it?"

She saw Wade flinch slightly at that, and knew she had hit the mark. Ron had told her how adament Wade was regarding her behaviour at the time, and suggested it might be a way to get him to open up to her. It looked like Ron was right on the money about that.

"Look Kim, I know you weren't exactly in control of your faculties, Ron and Dr. Bortel explained it to me, but I still can't help thinking..."

Kim placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling. "I understand Wade, it was a lot to take,m the way I was acting. But don't you think if Ron has forgiven me that you might too?"

Wade frowned, chewing on his bottom lip. "I guess..."

Kim didn't give him a chance to answer further, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Wade."

The young genius blushed, and she could see him resisting the urge to giggle. Kim decided to press on, now that she had worked him over to her side, at least temporarily. "Wade, I was wondering... are you sure what we're doing is right?"

Wade turned to look at Kim. "What are you talking about? Of course we're doing the right thing. I mean, with Dr. Bortel in charge, we'll be able to end war, stop hunger, get everyone focused on eliminating diseases... it will be a golden age!"

Kim quickly agreed with what he was saying, nodding vigourously. "I know all that Wade, but... what about free will? No one will have any chance to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong, just what we tell them."

Wade just waved a hand, dismissing the idea. "Everyone will still have free will. They'll be able to fall in love, decide their careers, choose their own stations, we'll just be helping mankind to see the error of their ways and solve some of the major problems."

"But what if things go too far? What if someone were to decide that someone should be different and decides to change them. Like Dr. Bortel's pet."

Wade just grinned. "Yeah, she was pretty hot, wasn't she?"

Kim fought the wave of disgust, trying hard to keep her smile. "Yeah, but what if someone wanted to do that to your mom?"

Wade's eyes went wide. "My mom?"

Kim saw the chink and dove for it. "Yeah. You know Drakken will be in charge of North America, don't you? What if he takes a liking to her, decides he wants a pet of her own."

"Drakken would never do that."

"How can you be sure Wade?" Kim leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "After all, you'll be here, won't you? You'd never know she was his pet, not if he kept up communications between you and her. And you know that old saying that power corrupts. Drakken's a villain. Just because he's helping Bortel now doesn't mean that he won't let his baser instincts take over when he's firmly in power."

Wade was sweating now, and he quickly mopped his brow. "I... he wouldn't..." Wade seemed to stammer for a moment, and Kim hoped beyond hope that she had managed to reach him. But the moment passed far too quickly. "No, I don't believe it. We are doing too much good for the world to worry about what could be. Besides, I can just bring my family here, where I can keep them safe. See, no problem at all."

Kim sighed, and sank a bit into the seat. She had failed to break Bortel's hold on him, his logic quickly coming up with answers to the emotional turmoil she had just put him through. "Yeah Wade, no problem at all."

Kim turned her attention back to the control room while Wade resumed work, considering her options. That was when she saw Bortel. He had taken the mind-control chipped Shego by the hand, and was leading her to his private quarters. Kim's eyes widened as she realized what was about to happen, and she couldn't allow that. Not after Shego had trusted them when placing the chip back on her forehead. She had to do something!

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Ron wheeled in surprise to see Monkey Fist standing in the now open doorway, smirking. "What do you want?"

Monkey Fist strode into the room as if he owned the place. "Oh, I just heard you were speaking with our erstwhile agent, and I thought I'd come see how it's progressing. Looks to me like you were ready to give up."

Ron sneered back quickly, his tone dripping with venom. "I wasn't giving up, just looking to take a different tack with it. He's being stubborn, and I thought I'd take a break."

Monkey Fist chuckled. "Well, if it's a break you need, I'd be most delighted to take over in your absence."

Ron moved over to his nemisis, just smiling. "Monty ol chap, I've got this well in hand. You just go run off and play with your little monkeys, why don't you."

Monkey Fist just frowned. "I think not. We need this information to determine the extent of the threat, and if you are incapable of obtaining said information, I'll just have to do it for you."

Ron slapped a hand on Monkey Fist's chest, stopping his forward motion. The older man just smirked at Ron, waiting for him to speak. "I said I'd do it, and I like to finish what I start."

Monkey Fist raised his hands in deference, moving back, but not very far. "Very well, let's see what you can do Ron Stoppable."

Ron couldn't help but feel Monkey Fist's smirk on his back as he approached Will again. He looked pleadingly into the eyes of his 'captive', hoping against hope that Will could come up with something to get them out of this situation.

Will just nodded bravely and took a deep breath. "Just do it already, I'll never talk."

Ron wanted to cry. With Will's statement, what he had to do was made clear to him. The thought sickened him, but if Will was telling him to, he would have to. He had to hold back the tears until he was alone, but on the inside he was a mess. Even as his fists hit, smacking pliable flesh, Ron fought the shudder that tore through his body.

Watching on with glee, Monkey Fist just laughed.

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Shego knew there was nothing she could do. She wanted to shudder at the touch of Bortel, as he whispered disgusting things in her ear, but she couldn't even do that, the damnable chip kept even that reaction suppressed. Instead, all she could do was smile vapidly and respond 'yes doctor'. If she could, she'd be sick. And to think, this was her idea, to go back under. She knew it had been vital to stopping Bortel, but for the life of her at that moment, she wished she was dead rather than suffer what she was going to suffer through.

As they got closer to his private chambers, her heart started beating faster. She was doing everything she could to override his control, to regain her body back, but nothing was working. Nothing she did made any difference, and for the first time in years, she started praying for a miracle.

"Doctor Bortel, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Shego would have sighed with relief when she heard Kim barreling up the stairs. Never before had she been so happy to hear the voice of Kim Possible. The redhead quickly came into view, and she draped her arms around Bortel. Shego was aghast, afraid Kim had been found out and altered again, but Kim's plan quickly became evident.

Kim was pouting quite visibly, as she looked down at the smaller doctor. "Doctor Bortel, I have a big favour to ask."

Bortel seemed stunned by the attention, actually blushing despite what the doctor had already done with his little plaything before. "Umm... yes... yes my dear, what can I do for you?"

Kim shot Shego a glance that Bortel couldn't see before she smiled. "Well, Ronnie and I were talking," Shego noticed that Kim's hand tried to move to the hand-held ray Bortel had, but he shifted his angle away slightly. That didn't deter Kim, "and we were talking about having a little fun with our good friend Shego."

Bortel's eyes lit up, and he raised an appreciative gaze up at Kim. "Really my dear? That sounds quite... fascinating."

Kim practically squealed as she hugged the doctor, trying for the ray again. "Isn't it though? So you don't mind if we borrow her for a little bit?"

Bortel pulled away slightly again. "Well, I was about to..."

Kim let go of the doctor, and slid over in front of Shego. The younger woman's arms slid around Shego, and pulled her down until their lips met. Shego was completely stunned. She was kissing Kim Possible? Oh man, the gossip mags would be having a field day if they had THIS on tape. Shego noted the sound of dropped equipement behind them, and figured at least a couple of geeks back there were getting one hell of a show.

Kim pulled away, moving her head to nuzzle Shego's neck, her voice a bare whisper. "Shego, when I pull away, I want you to move to the opposite side of Bortel then I am on. When he is distracted, you will give him a kiss on the cheek, and then use just enough power to damage his handheld attitudinator ray without compromising our position. Once you have done this, you will pull away, and then you will follow me. Do you understand?"

Shego didn't have the benefit of whispering, her voice held the same tone and cadence it always did under the control of the chip. "Yes, Kim Possible."

Kim pulled away, and both women flanked the older doctor. Kim was pouting again, drawing his gaze over to her. "So Doc, do you think we can borrow her? Pretty please?"

Shego leaned in, kissing the doctor on the cheek while Kim did the same. Her hand slid down, not quite touching the ray, but close enough for her powers to work effectively. Without looking, she fired a pulse into the firing mechanism, and felt a great sense of relief in doing so. She pulled away and saw the doctor stammering, his blush a deep scarlet.

Kim took her by the hand, dragging her quickly away. "Thanks Doc, I promise to take good care of her. And if your real good, me and Ronnie will train her real well for you."

Kim didn't give him time to answer, practically running down the halls with Shego in hand. When she got to her quarters, she threw the doors open, pulling the green hued villainess in after her, and slamming the door quickly behind her. Kim quickly sank to the floor, hugging herself tightly. "Oh god, oh god..."

Shego just looked on blankly, but inside she was a whirl of emotion. Gratitude was foremost in her mind, for what Kim had managed to save her from, but also a little bit of sympathy, as much as it gauled her to admit it. Kim was putting everything out there, betraying who she was, to try and stop Bortel, and she could understand what that could do to a person.

Kim took a few moments to herself, before she finally noticed the prone Shego standing there, and Kim practically leaped to her feet to tear the chip off her forehead. Shego breathed a sigh of relief as her muscles finally responded to her own commands again, and she sank onto the bed, Kim joining her a second later.

"Shego, I am so..."

"Princess, if you kiss the buffoon half that well all the time, it's no wonder he's willing to follow you around like a little puppy. Hell, I'm tempted to throw you right down on this bed for a repeat myself."

Kim's head whipped around, tears completely forgotten. "Wha... I didn't... you..."

Shego grinned evilly, leaning forward. "Come on Kimmie, just one more?"

Kim fell back off the bed so fast it was laughable, and Shego couldn't hold it back any more. "Get a grip Princess, I'm kidding you. I don't swing that way, but it stopped you crying, didn't it?"

Kim was on her feet quickly, an accusing finger pointed at Shego. "You... after what I did for you..."

"Good, use that anger, you'll need it." Shego rose from the bed, watching the teen settle down before her eyes. "In a few hours, we'll stop Bortel, and this whole thing will just be one long nightmare you can wake up from. Shego glanced over at the door, then at the walls, anywhere but Kim as the next part of what she had to say escaped her. "And I... I just want to thank you for... you know... if he had..."

Kim nodded quickly. "No big." Shego gave the teen a look, and Kim quickly amended her statement. "Umm, I mean, it was no problem."

Shego nodded, then smiled just a touch. "Have to admit though, that was an... interesting idea you had for getting me away from Bortel. Sure you don't..."

"NO!"

Shego chuckled softly. "Just checking."

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The two guards were dragging Will back to the cell, and Yori gasped as she saw his condition. He looked like he had been beaten half to death, and she wondered if maybe she had been wrong about her friend. The guards tossed him into his cell, and Team Impossible were all on their feet and helping their fellow agent in a heart beat.

Burn growled at the guards as they closed the door again. "What did you animals do to him?"

The guards just laughed. "Ain't us that did it, it was Mr. Stoppable. Guy ain't quite right if ya catch my meaning."

Yori just gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, and then she dropped to her knees beside Will, holding him close. "Oh... Will, are you all right?"

Will flashed her a quick smile that disappeared quickly, and that shocked her. His voice was a whisper, and Yori strained to hear. "Only did what I told him to do. Monkey Fist wanted a go if he didn't. Ron kept from hitting anything vital, but it sure looks good, doesn't it." Will winced, suppressing a chuckle. "Doesn't feel so good though."

Yori pulled him into a hug, bringing her mouth close to his ear. "What have they learned?"

"Nothing I didn't want them to. Told them it was a GJ private piloting the ship, and he had orders to head for the Australian base if he was compromised. They'll probably be chasing that trail for a bit."

Yori nodded slightly, felt only by Will. "And the plan?"

"We go in six hours, about three hours before they start. Oh, and Stoppable has a present for you. Give me a kiss."

Yori pulled back slightly, and their lips met. He lifted the lockpicks up from under his tongue, sliding them quickly into Yori's mouth, and the two shared a smile.

Dash just shook his head at the pair of them. "I still can't figure out how this happened."

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Ron rushed right into the room, and bolted past Kim and Shego for the bathroom before either women said a word. They heard the water running, and quickly moved to follow him. When they got there, they saw him scrubbing his hands furiously, and they could see the blood on his knuckles. Kim gasped, and moved over to him, grabbing his hands.

"My God Ron, are you all right?"

Ron shook his head, pulling his hands away and returning them to the stream. "No, I'm not. He told me to, but I still did it. I didn't want to, but Monkey Fist was watching, and I had to. I had to KP. Why did I have to do that?"

Ron collapsed to the floor, sobbing loudly, and Kim wrapped her arms around him tightly around and held him, as they finally both broke down. Shego watched them for a few moments, before deciding this was a private moment between them. Nothing she could say right now would offer any consolation. She returned to the bed, sinking down, and began devising the various ways she would punish Bortel for all the wrongs he had comitted.

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James Possible was a little bleary eyed as he piloted the craft back to Middleton. Everyone else was taking the oppurtunity to rest before everything happened, but someone had to stay awake, awaiting word. It had been hours since Sensei had had word of what was going on, and that was troubling. He wished he could be there, to help his daughter through what he was going through.

He checked the sensors again, making sure the cloak was operational as they crossed over into American airspace. When the radio crackled, it was in his hands quickly. "Sensei, tell me you have good news."

James heard a brief chuckle on the line. "Perhaps Possible-sama is becoming psychic. I do indeed have good news. Yori and her fellows have been supplied a means to break free, as well as a time table to move. By the time you are ready to launch, our forces will be moving into position. You should be able to remove the satelites in orbit without any problems."

James let out the breath he was holding and sighed. "That is good news. "Our ETA is about two hours, I'll give you a call when we are down."

"Good luck Possible-sama."

James put down the radio and smiled for the first time in a while. He heard the cabin door open, and turning, saw his wife there. He smiled to her, and she smiled back.

"I take it you heard about the kids?"

James nodded, motioning his wife to sit. "Sensei says they got their plans to Yori. I think they're fine."

Ann nodded, then forced her husband to stand. "Good, then you can turn on the auto-pilot and get some sleep. You're going to need it, I don't think you've gotten a wink in the last couple of days."

James just shook his head no. "Dear, someone needs to be at these controls, and..."

Ann just gave him that look that said she wasn't going to brook any argument. "I will wake you when we get ready to land. But this is doctor's orders. You will take a two hour nap right now."

James decided to just give up and sighed. "Yes dear."

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Shego shook the pair awake, and they stirred slowly. "Come on, get up. The plan is supposed to start in about twenty minutes. Time to get with it."

Kim nodded, and quickly rose, dragging Ron up with her. They had prepared before crashing for a few hours, and they felt somewhat refreshed, though the events of just a few hours ago still haunted them. They dressed in their classic outfits for the first time in a while, and Kim felt just a little cleaner by wearing them. She strapped her trusty hairdryer/grappler to her hip, and looked at herself in the mirror. Even with the change of wardrobe though, she could still see the taint of the last little while in her features. She hoped, once this was over, she could look herself in the mirror again without seeing them.

The trio were silent as they prepared. Shego placed a red piece of paper on her forehead that from a distance would look like the chip, and Ron took a moment to make sure it looked right. With one final nod, the trio headed out.

The plan was to take out as many as they could before meeting with the rest of their thrown together team at the science labs, and then head off to the control room, and hopefully take out Bortel and the rest of his operatives. Kim and Ron tried to walk with an easy stride, holding each other about the waists, while Shego trailed along behind.

Kim was almost relieved that the first people they ran into were Bonnie and Junior. She was glad to be able to remove them from this as quickly as possible from this whole mess, especially since they were only drawn in after the fact by trying to stop Bortel. She smiled as they approached, but Bonnie just sneered back.

"Hey Bonnie, how are you and your new BF doing?"

Bonnie just smirked. "Probably better than you and your BF. I hear you had to bring a playmate in to keep Stoppable interested."

Kim just chuckled, though Ron looked at his girlfriend curiously. "Hey B, don't knock it till you try it. Shego, why don't you give her a bit of a demonstration."

Junior looked interested, smiling, but Bonnie just backed up. That didn't stop Shego though, who, as soon as she was close enough, fired off a mini burst that knocked both Junior and Bonnie out quickly. Kim caught Bonnie before she could fall, while Shego and Ron grabbed Junior. They dragged the pair to a nearby closet, and firmly bound them up.

Kim doublechecked the knots, making sure they would hold. "How long does that normally last?"

"About a half hour, give or take a few minutes."

Kim nodded, and they shut the door. They resumed their positions, but Ron still looked curious. "KP, what did she mean by playmate?"

Kim went bright red, and Shego just chuckled softly. "Let's just say that Kimmie's boast about being the best at everything is true in at least a few regards, including kissing."

Ron just looked between the pair before understanding sank in. The look was obvious, and Kim just blushed even harder. Ron groaned, hanging his head. "I always miss the good stuff."

Kim slapped him on the arm, looking offended, before the trio continued on down the hall.

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Yori looked over at Will, and he nodded quickly. The young agent moaned, and Yori was on her feet in an instant. "You have to help him, I think he's hemmorging!" Yori's arms shot through the bars, her expression pleading.

The guard's just laughed, making sure to stay back from the bars. "You don't expect us to fall for that, do you? That's got to be the oldest trick in the book."

The guards laughed, and then Yori smiled as well. The guards shared a glance, curious. "What are you so happy about?"

Yori just smiled serenely. "I did indeed know that you would not fall for it. However, that wasn't our plan. You see, I just had to distract you enough to pick the lock."

Yori slammed the door open, and was on the two guards before they had a chance to move. They were down for the count before Will and Team Impossible had cleared the cell doors.

Burn was just in shock. "What is going on here?"

Yori bent down, scooping up the guards weapons, and began dragging the first one into the cell. "The plan was set by Stoppable-san and Possible-san when they first came to see us. They have been working from the inside for some time."

Crash just shook his head, even as he dragged the other guard into the cell. "But what about Will? The guards said..."

"Stoppable did what I told him too." Will checked the weapon he had confiscated, standing tall. "We were being watched, he had to make it convincing if he wanted to slip me the lockpicks. He made sure nothing important was hit."

Crash looked between the two of them, somewhat upset. "And you couldn't tell us that there was a plan going on? It might have been helpful."

Will just shook his head. "Too risky. Yori and I took a big enough chance as it was sharing information as we did."

Burn's face lit up with understanding. "That's what all that affection was about. I knew she was..." Burn's voice trailed off, and he looked away.

Will just gave him a look, before turning his attention back to the matter at hand. "All right people, we have five minutes to make the rendevous point and meet up with Possible, Stoppable and Shego. Let's move!"

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Kim, Ron, and Shego managed to disable a good number of henchmen on their way to the meeting point, also taking out Senior as well, but the rest of the major players remained elusive. They had been hoping to find a few more of them before heading to the control room, but it couldn't be helped. Kim glanced around the corner, and started when she found Yori doing the exact same thing. Everyone dropped into a defensive posture when the two women started, but relaxed when everyone came into view.

Yori moved quickly and hugged Ron before he could say a word. "It is good to see you as yourself Ron-san."

Kim grumbled a bit, and Shego just smiled. "Don't worry Princess, you still got me."

Kim just glared. "Shego, that wasn't funny the first time, can we can the jokes till this is over?"

Will stepped forward, and Kim for the first time understood Ron's breakdown when he had returned. The agent, while no longer bleeding, was still a mass of cuts and bruises over every visible part of his body. It didn't seem to stop him though. "Miss Possible, we should head for the control room now."

Kim nodded, and for the first time, she felt confident that they could pull this off. Ron, Shego, Yori, Will, Team Impossible, and herself. It was an impressive group. Of course, she and Ron were worried about Rufus, who had yet to check in. She just hoped the little mole rat was all right.

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The group moved slowly, continuing to use stealth as they approached the control room. A couple more henchmen were dispatched, but the halls were curiously quiet. She wondered if they had been spotted, but there were no alarms, and no one seemed prepared for them. Still, it was a little disconcerting.

Just as they were approaching the door to the control room, a panel above them slid open. Monkey Fist dropped in front of them, appearing as casual as if he was buying a loaf of bread. "Well Kim Possible, it seems you and your little band are making your move. I have to admit, I have been impressed with your progress."

Kim snapped into a defensive posture, ready for action. "Monkey Fist, I'm surprised you haven't set off the alarms yet. You seriously think you can take us all on?"

Monkey Fist just grinned, Standing beside the wall. "Oh no, I don't think that. As much as I believe my abilities to be superior, even I know the odds would be in your favour. However, I do think I am a match for young Stoppable, and he will be staying to fight while you head for the control room."

Shego just snickered. "And what makes you think we won't just take you out now and head there anyways. I figure that's only about two minutes tops in my books."

Monkey Fist just shook his head. "Oh, but that two minutes might make all the difference. You see... plans have changed."

The groups shared glances, before Kim got the meaning. "He's bumped up the time table. We have to get in there now!"

"But what about banana breath?"

"I've got this one KP."

The group turned to look at him, half stunned, the other half expecting it. Kim moved to him, touching his cheek lightly. "Ron, you don't have to do this."

"Yes I do KP. Now get going. I'll be right behind you."

The group nodded, and pushed on down the hall, Monkey Fist just smiling the entire time. Kim took one last moment, kissing Ron lightly on the lips. "Be careful Ron."

Ron just smiled. "Don't worry about me KP, I'll see you shortly."

Kim gave him one last look as she took off with the rest of the group, who had decided to abaondon stealth in favour of speed. When they had disappeared from sight, Ron turned to look at Monkey Fist. "All right Monkey Breath, what do you want with me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Monkey Fist started pacing, and Ron kept step with him. "You are nothing but a pretender to the power, and I want it all. I plan to get that power, however I can."

Ron circled his hairy foe, watching for sudden movement. "You know Monty, my mystical monkey power helped me get free of Bortel's control, it should be able to do the same for you.

Monkey Fist started laughing madly, and Ron froze at it. "You fool, I am free of it. I have been for some time. Why do you think I didn't set off the alarm? I wanted us to have a nice little chat before I finished you off for good. Of course, your little girlfriend should be walking into Bortel's trap any moment now."

"Trap?" Ron paled, trying to glance down the hallway where Kim and the rest went.

Monkey Fist just laughed again. "Of course. Who do you think told Bortel you were free of his control, and that you had somehow managed to free your precious Kim Possible. I'd say right now, she's recieving quite a warm welcome."

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Kim and Shego barreled through the doors at the same time, and discovered just where the rest of the base personnel had gotten to. Figures were stationed everywhere. Drakken and Dementor stood by the computers, blaster rays pointed at them, while Duff stood to the right, club in hand and balls at the ready. Bonnie, Junior, and Senior were a bit to the left, though they still looked groggy, but they were complimented by a very well-armed Wade Load, who seemed very pleased to see them. And up on the pedestal, smiling broadly and flanked by several henchmen, stood Bortel.

"Welcome, welcome, you are just in time for my victory party."

A metal door slammed down behind the group, cutting them off from the hallway. Dash and Burn took a moment to test the door, but it didn't budge. Shego's hands flared in anticipation, while Kim took a step forward. "You're not going to get away with this, we are going to stop you."

Bortel looked flustered for a moment. "Stop me? Stop me? Oh dear, oh dear, whatever shall I do." Bortel paused, then smiled, issuing an evil laugh. "My dear child, you have already failed. You see, I activated the satelites about a half hour ago. Two thirds of the planet is already mine, and in anouther fifeteen minutes, the rest shall belong to me!"

Kim was startled. "Half an... oh no..."

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Thirty minutes ago - Middleton

"All right boys, have you had any luck hacking into the satelite frequency?"

Jim and Tim shook their heads in negative. "Sorry dad, Wade must be using a modulating frequency that changes every thirty seconds. Every time we get close to cracking it, it changes on us."

James just nodded, patting his sons on the shoulder. Don't worry about it boys, I didn't think it would be that easy. Looks like we'll have to take the ship and remove the satelites manually from orbit."

The Tweebs just smiled. "We get to go into space!"

Ann Possible quickly admonished them. This won't be a vacation boys. This is serious business."

"Yes mom."

Gene Stoppable just looked uncomfortable. "I feel pretty useless just sitting here. Isn't there something I can do?"

James nodded, pointing to the spare suits. "You could suit up. I'm going to need someone on navigation once we get up here, and other than me, your proibably the best one here for numbers. Normally I'd call in a crew, but we don't have time to wait for them."

Gene nodded, and he started to get ready. That was when an alarm sounded on the board. James whirled, his eyes wide, as the data showed up on the screen. "Oh, no..."

Ann looked to her husband with concern. "What is it, what's wrong?"

"The satelites..." James paused, pushing some buttons, "they've been activated."

Nicole moved up beside him, staring at the screen. "But that's not possible. We had anouther six hours!"

James just shook his head disbelievingly. "It lloks like he upped the time table."

Jean Stoppable looked scared. "What about us? How long till it hits us?"

James checked a few things befoire letting out a sigh. "Based on the frequency, we should be safe in here. This room is shielded, since it has all the vital computers needed. The ship will likewise be safe, it's been shielded for most forms of radiation and signals. I guess we'll really know in about three minutes though, because that's when the first satelite passes over head."

Everyone in the control room held their breath as the seconds ticked away. James kept working, running scans, while the Tweebs contuned working to crack Wade's encription. When the clock hit ten seconds, even they stopped, and waited expectantly. At five, James shut his eyes, waiting to see if the compound's shield's worked or not. He counted in his head, waiting for the expectant loss of control, and breathed a sigh of relief when his count hit ten in his head.

James opened his eyes, looking at the assembled persons in the room. "Everyone all right?"

Ann looked around, nodding. "I think so. I don't feel any different."

James turned back to the computer, smiling. "The shields held. Come on, let's get ready to go."

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Twenty five minutes later, everyone was suited up and ready to go. James held the door open for everyone, and they headed quickly down the halls to the launchpad. "Remember everyone, we have about twenty minutes to get onboard before the next satelite passes overhead. We have to be on the ship before that happens. I've set all the controls to manual, since we can't trust anyone else on the base right now."

The pair were almost out of the building when they were startled by Vivian Porter, with Oliver in tow, coming around the corner. Ann gasped, as did Jean, and Vivian looked just as stunned.

"Dr. Possible? You scared me. Are you testing the new rocket? I heard the flight was scheduled for next week."

James just nodded, trying to appear nonchalant. "I have a few new investors in the center that wanted to get a feel for how things happen, so I brought my family in to act as the flight crew. Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Vivian just shrugged. "Oh, I just have a few simulations that I..." The pad fell from Vivian's hands and hit the floor. "Butterscotch sundae!" Vivian bent down to pick up the pad, and then smiled at Dr. Possible.

"Well, we better get going Vivian. Good luck with your tests."

Vivian just smiled brightly. Thanks Dr. Possible. Good luck with the tour."

Vivian moved to continue down the hallway, but Oliver paused. "Vivian, do you mind if I stay to talk to Dr. Possible for a moment. I wanted to discuss some fuel balance ratios with him."

Vivian gave it some thought, and then smiled again. Sure Oliver. I'll be in the lab when you're done."

Vivian continued down the hallway, and disappeared around the bend. Once she was out of sight, Oliver looked worridly at Dr. Possible. "Sir, I believe there is something wrong with the personnel on this base. They began acting strangely about half an hour ago."

James grabbed the robot by the arm, dragging him after them. "There is something wrong. A mad scientist has put a number of satelites in orbit, and they are firing some kind of mind control device. The first sweep came though about half an hour ago. We were in the launch control, which is shielded, but I don't know how many other labs would have been protected. Has Vivian been acting strange as well?"

"Yes sir."

James looked at his family concerned. "We better hurry then. I have a feeling Vivian knows we haven't been affected and is getting help."

They rushed out the doors, heading for the nearest vehicle to take them to the rocket when they heard a click behind them. The group turned, and Oliver moved quickly to transpose himself as much as he could between Dr. Possible's group and the contingent of security personnel with their weapons drawn.

"Dr. Possible, by order of Doctor Bortel, I am to hold you here. Please sir, I don't want any trouble."

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"Now Ron Stoppable, it's just you and me. As you can see, I didn't even bring my monkey ninjas with me."

"So you did all this, put up with Bortel, just to get a piece of me? Why?"

Monkey Fist chuckled softly. "Oh, I didn't just do it for you. You see, if Bortel is successful, I get my choice of territory. I get whatever I desire. If he's defeated now, I've already slipped a code into the programming to alter the loyalty protocals to me. They'll be launched before you could ever stop them, and then I'll be supreme ruler. A nice little package, wouldn't you say? I win no matter what. Of course, that only left one thing. You!"

"You think by killing me, you'll get the rest of the power?"

Monkey Fist's smile widened. "Oh yes, I will. And with all the power, I can finally be Suprme Monkey Ruler!" Monkey Fist's cackling laughter echoed down the halls, and Ron winced at that.

"You do know you're mad, don't you?"

"Oh, that may be, but I can live with that. Unfortunately, you won't. Goodbye Ron Stoppable!"

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Bortel continued his gloating, as his statement was processed by the group. "You see, I knew all about you breaking free of my control Miss Possible. Monkey Fist was most informative, especially when he broke free of my control early on. But our plans were compatible, so we continued to work together. Of course, once I discovered that Mr. Stoppable and yourself were free of my control, I had to do something with you. So I sent you out on raids, which I am pleased to say were most successful. Even that surprised me, your ability to act as if still under my control. A most impressive performance earlier today as well my dear, it was most convincing. However, I knew from the start what your plan was," Bortel smiled as he held up Rufus, locked in a small cage, "and now, nothing will stop me!"

Shego stepped forward, her hands flaring. "If you activated it half an hour ago, why aren't they all your puppets right now?"

Bortel just chuckled. "Oh, this place is shielded. Can't have me being affected, now can I. Of course, that's a situation I can easily rectify."

Bortel pulled out the hand-held ray, and pointed it at the group. "Oh, and Shego, the first thing my new minions will do will be to beat you to a pulp and finish you off once and for all!" Bortel was laughing madly as he pulled the trigger, while most everyone in the group ducked or tried to shield themselves vainly. Of course, Kim and Shego just shared a knowing smile.

"Sorry Doc, looks like someone pulled the plug on your little toy."

Bortel looked down at his gun, trying to find what was wrong. "But... but I checked it, after..."

Shego just laughed. "Should have taken it apart, I fired a small burst past the trigger to the inside. You'll find it's useless now."

Bortel growled, tossing the device away. "No matter, I still have one last trick up my sleeve." Bortel snapped his fingers, and a sudden darkness descended. Figures robed in black took positions around the room, in the rafters, and even clinging to the walls. There had to be about fifety of them in all. One taller figure landed by Drakken and Dementor, and Yori gasped as she saw the figure pull off his mask and smile at her.

"Hello Yori, I guess we'll have to do this the hard way, won't we?"

Yori appeared stricken. "Oh... Hirotaka..."

Bortel just chortled. "I'd like to thank you. I found this wonderful gift on my doorstep about ten minutes ago when the satelite passed overhead. They were just preparing to move in when it passed." Bortel paused, rubbing his hands in glee. "Now Kim Possible, Shego, and... others, it's time to end this."

"Minions... DESTROY THEM!"

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Author's Notes - Ahh folks, it has been a great pleasure to be part of this story. Now, I turn the reins over to the inestimable G-Go to wrap this tale up and try to fix this God-awful mess we (although I take a great deal of the blame with this chapter) put him in of having to conclude this story. Thank you all for enjoying, and stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to... The Darkness Within!