Shego slowly crept through the hallways of Dementor's manor/lair. Strangely enough, there was something familiar about this lair, but she couldn't put her finger on it. But how…? She had never been here before… or had she?

            Slinking around the next corner, she stopped herself from a run-in with one of Dementor's guards. He was standing guard in front of a strange, unornamented door. But, in the enigmatic world of crime and thievery, any door could be extraordinarily significant, or extraordinarily lethal. Whatever it was, there was a faint sapphire light leaking out from under the door. Finally, Shego's interest got the better of her, and, a silent pounce that would have made a panther proud later, the guard was dead to the world.

            Shego carefully plucked the key-card off the guard's belt, and slid it into the lock. It opened with an odd hiss, and swung open.

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~          *

            Ratigan sighed, sitting on the bed. The "guest room", as Dementor had put it, was actually several smaller chambers, about the same as the number of people who came, grouped into one big one. Ratigan sighed. They'd walked into a trap, and all because of his foolishness…(AN: Cue flashback.)

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~          *

            Ratigan stood in the center of the clearing, bathed in the slowly setting sun. But his thoughts were elsewhere, with his newly returned identity…

            What do you feel?, his mind asked.

            "Guilt", he thought in reply. "Guilt, and anger, and shame."

            Why?

            "At first, I thought I was locked up for no justifiable reason, but now…"

            But you are free to make your own choices, so you don't necessarily have to go back to the way you were before.

            "But how…"

            "Ratigan?", Kim's voice called.

            "Yo, Ratigan!", Ron's voice next.

            Ratigan turned around to see Kim, Ron, Gemini, and Dr. Director run up to him. "Where were you?", Kim asked, a faint tone of worry in her voice.

            "Well.. thinking, mostly", Ratigan said, and left it at that. The next minute or so was a bit of a blur, and he stared off into space until he was brought back to Earth by the words he didn't expect to hear from Kim.

            "Could you guys excuse us for a few minutes?", she asked.

            "Hey, whatever Ratigan has to say, he can say it in front of us", Ron said, smiling. "Right, guys?"

            Ratigan sighed, smiling sadly. "Maybe you'd better go."

            Ron's jaw dropped. "It starts", he said, resigned. "You think you know a guy…" He turned and walked away, Gemini and Dr. Director following him reluctantly.

            Kim smiled faintly. "Ron Stoppable. You'll get used to him… Eventually…"

            But Ratigan had returned to staring into space. "What?", Kim asked. "What is it?"

            "I don't know…", Ratigan sighed. "A while ago, I was curious about who I was… But now… I don't know."

            "Hey, it's okay", Kim said soothingly. "Besides, you can decide later if you think it was worth the work or not."

            "Thanks." He smiled, placing a hand on Kim's shoulder. "I guess we'd better go find the others and get home." Slowly they walked off…

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~          *

            As Ratigan smiled to himself at the fond memory, a thunderbolt cracked somewhere in the distance. It would rain soon enough. But, as another lightning bolt flashed, he suddenly bolted upright in bed. There, standing on the balcony, looking in through the window of the furthermost back room, was Kim. (AN: Or is it?)

            Ratigan dashed through the double doors onto the balcony where the wind had already began to blow, and rain started to pour. "Kim!", he shouted to no one in particular. It was probably the clone, but something fishy was going on here…

            Long lost words whisper slowly to me;
            Still can't find what keeps me here;
            When all this time, I've been so hollow inside;
            I know you're still there…

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~          *

            Shego looked around at the lab equipment that Dementor had arranged in the room. Assorted machines and devices that looked like they belonged more in a hospital than in a mad scientist's lair beeped as they measured the physical status of whatever they were attached to, which happened to be a suspended animation chamber. And in that container was-. "Oh, God", Shego groaned.

            It was Kim Possible, still wearing her mission clothes, and not conscious. In fact, there was something scary about the sight, yet vaguely familiar. The computer in the corner was still on, much to Shego's surprise. "Probably some stupid lackey left it on...", she thought as she sat in the swivel chair. There was a disk in the slot, so she opened one of the files. It appeared to be a journal…

Kigo-Lynn Project; Day 1: Planning stage. Will manage to perfect emotion extraction/embodiment process, then procure the necessary materials.

Kigo-Lynn Project; Day 4: Have completed perfecting the process mentioned above. Am now planning procuring of necessary materials. Of course, seeing as how I need human emotions for the device to work, I need human beings.

Kigo-Lynn Project; Day 9: Have abducted one of the three required subjects, Adrenna Lynn, and extracted what I need for the device. However, will have to abduct other two with the utmost caution, as Global Justice has been alerted to what has happened.

Kigo-Lynn Project; Day 17: Have now abducted Shego, subject 2 in my project. Kim Possible has now been alerted to my presence, and is coming this way. However, this is good, because I can snare her, for she is subject 3 of 3.

Kigo-Lynn Project; Day 17 (Later that day): Extraction process complete. I will now create Kigo-Lynn, who will assist in my conquest of the world. I have managed to erase the abduction and extraction from Shego and Adrenna Lynn's memories, but there was no time to do the same for Kim. However, I have an interesting plan for her that will put her and that accursed Ratigan out of my hair for good.

Kigo-Lynn Project; Day 20: Kigo-Lynn has officially been created, and everyone thinks Kim is dead (including Ratigan, who thinks very fondly of her). Am pleased with buying used cloning machine, though it cost so much. However, I think there is still some good use for Kigo-Lynn aside from henchmen duties. Perhaps it is time to contact one Ron Stoppable and see if he will pay a visit…

            Shego backed away from the computer as if it had a plague virus. She had wondered what she was doing in Dementor's lair… Snapping out of the daze she had fallen into, Shego used the key card to open the suspended animation booth, which slid from its slanted position on the wall, revealing a strange green button… "Ugh", she groaned, "When will this end…?"

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~          *

            Dementor walked down the hall, followed by "Kim", a.k.a Kigo-Lynn. "So", she said in a voice that was a strange mix of Kim's, Shego's, and Adrenna Lynn's , "You think that by Ratigan catching a glimpse of me will break his spirit? It doesn't seem to fit. Besides, I'd like to know how you got Ratigan here in the first place."

            "As you wish, Kigo-Lynn", Dementor said. He opened a door, and switched on a light, revealing a lounge-styled kind of room. There, leaning against a wall by a tapestry, was Ron Stoppable.

            To Be Continued…