"Thanks for the free lift, Tom." Kim called to the taxi driver through the open window.
"No problem, Kimberly. It was the least I could do after you apprehended that carjacker trying to make off with my wheels and money last month." The man replied from behind the wheel of the yellow cab. He sped away, leaving Kim and Ron standing in front of a vacant warehouse in the run-down section of town.
"Why do villains always try to find the spookiest, creepiest places possible to hang out?" Ron asked nervously, surveying the surroundings.
"It's in chapter one of the Villain Handbook—'Your lair must always be the creepiest, spookiest place you can find.'" Kim said with a grin and nudged her friend in the side with her elbow playfully.
"Very funny, KP. Lets just get this over with cause I'm starving"
"Okay, first we try the door. If that doesn't work, we climb up to the roof."
"Since when has the door ever worked?" Ron asked.
Kim walked over to the entrance and turned the knob. The rusted metal under her hand wouldn't budge at first, but then it suddenly started to give. She persisted until the ancient door slowly opened with a loud creak. "I guess there's a first time for everything."
"That was too easy. Now I'm nervous." Ron remarked before following Kim into the darkness.
*****
"They're in!" Drakken watched the two teens from his video surveillance monitor in the heart of the layer. "Time to go make our visitors feel welcome, Shego." He handed her a small grenade-like device and a gas mask.
"Why do I have to do everything?" She protested
"Because I'm the brilliant scientist and you're the sidekick. Now quit your complaining and go!"
Shego shot him an evil glare, but didn't argue further. She accepted the grenade and the mask before leaving the room.
*****
Kim's flashlight shined through the expansive main room of the warehouse. The interior was littered with empty cardboard boxes and broken-down machinery. Thick dust hung in the musty-smelling air. Suddenly, one of the boxes toppled over followed by a piercing screech.
"What was that?" Ron yelped, grabbing Kim's arm.
"Relax, it was just a rat." She said and followed the rodent across the floor with her light.
"I'm really getting a bad vibe about this place, KP."
"You say that every time we break into a villain's sinister lair."
"I know, but this time it's different. We're heading down a bad road here." Ron said uneasily.
"You should really listen to your dopey sidekick once in awhile, Kimmie." A voice came from the darkness at the far end of the room.
Kim didn't have to point her flashlight to know who the voice belonged to. "Shego!" She growled.
"Bad road, bad road, bad road…" Ron repeated.
"Why don't you stop hiding in the shadows so I can kick your ass and get it over with!" Kim called to her unseen foe.
"In your dreams!" Shego yelled and lunged toward Kim.
Taken off guard, Kim was thrown backwards. The flashlight tumbled across the floor and flickered out. Suddenly an eerie green glow filled the room as Shego switched on her plasma gloves. Shego swiped at Kim's face with the gloves, leaving a gash upon her cheek.
"Kim! Are you okay?" Ron called, frantically searching for the flashlight in the darkness.
Kim instinctively brought her hand up and felt slick blood seeping from the wound. In one swift movement, she jumped back to her feet and slammed her fist into Shego's soft abdomen. The woman cried out in pain, but quickly shook it off and lashed out with her fiery gloves once again. Kim flipped backwards, dodging the blow.
"Enough of this. Time for nighty night!" Shego grabbed the gas mask from her belt and slipped it over her face.
Ron located the flashlight and switched it on just in time to see Shego pull the pin from the small device in her hand and toss it in Kim's direction. "Watch out KP! She's got a grenade!" He flew across the room as fast as his feet would allow and grabbed Kim's arm, then sent them both diving into a pile of boxes.
The 'grenade' didn't explode as was expected. Instead, it emitted a dense fog that quickly started to fill the room. "Hold your breath Ron." Kim whispered, feeling slightly lightheaded. "Ron?" Her hand shot out and lightly punched the boy lying beside her.
"Sorry…KP…. can't…" He murmured, and then fell silent.
Kim realized that it was too late for Ron—he was already going under. She consciously blocked off her airways and scrambled to her feet. Fumbling in the darkness, she headed in the direction that she thought was the door. She silently cursed after crashing into another large pile of boxes. Her senses had been turned around during the battle with Shego. Rising back to her feet, she took a few more tortured steps. Despite her efforts, reflexes overtook willpower and she involuntarily inhaled several deep breaths of the noxious air. Within seconds blackness consumed her.