Meanwhile, halfway across the globe, Ron Stoppable awoke to a considerable lack of something, though he didn't know what yet. A quick call to Kim and Monique was good proof that Drakken hadn't pulled some half-baked scheme while he was asleep, so what was wrong? Bueno Nacho and Smarty Mart were still in one piece, and so was the school (much to his disappointment). So what was wrong? After a moment, he shrugged it off. "Must've been all in my head, eh, Rufus?", he asked his furless companion, who was, unknown to him, currently traveling with Ratigan, meaning no reply. "Rufus?", he asked again. Maybe he was still asleep. "Rufus?" Still nothing. Ron dashed over to the bedroom section of Rufus's tube maze. He was gone.

"RUFUS!!!!"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Kim had just sat down to breakfast, and was about to start eating one of her bacon slices, when Ron burst into the kitchen, wearing his mission clothes, and looking like he was about to have an aneurysm. "Ron, what's the ish?", she asked.

"KP, I was just getting up, I mean, of course I was getting up. What else would I be doing in the morning? Anyway I had this weird feeling that something was missing. I called you, I called Monique, Bueno Nacho, and, yes, even the school, but they were all still there."

"And you're going somewhere with this?", Kim asked.

"Anyway,Ifigureditwasjustastrangefeeling,butthenIcheckedRufus'shabitatandhewasGONE!!!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Ron", Kim started, putting up her hand for silence. "What was that last bit?"

"RUFUS WAS GONE!!!", Ron exclaimed.

"What?", Kim exclaimed. "Are you sure?"

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The next minute, they were flying towards Drakken's Arctic lair. Wade had gotten word to them that Rufus was last seen there, though he didn't tell them why he was there. What they didn't know was that they were about to get the shock of their lives.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

In the lair in question, Shego sat back in the chair, her green and black headset tuned into Veeken's Kimmunicator so they could maintain communication. "Test, 1, 2, 3. Drakken in a dander causes destructive danger. Do you read?"

"Eeaugh, Shego", came the reply on the other end. "Do you know how absolutely tasteless that is?" Veeken.

"So, are you in?"

"In and ready to find Drakken's trail. There's just one slight problem."

"What's the ish?", Shego asked.

"Ratigan disappeared."

Suddenly, the doors to the room collapsed inward, and there were Kim and Ron, looking for all the world like they had been force-fed a pair of lemons. "I'll have to call you back, Veek. Hero alert." Turning to Kim and Ron, she asked "What's with you?"

"Okay, Shego the game's over!", Kim shouted.

"And hand over Rufus, too!", Ron added, sidestepping Kim.

"Okay, I know it looks like I'm trying something villainous and something that Drakken would do, but I'm not."

"Where is Drakken, anyway?", Kim asked.

"Don't know", Shego replied. "Would like to know, but don't."

Meanwhile, Ron pointed towards the Dimens-Porter. "Hey, Kim", he whispered. "The Dimens-Porter's working."

"Does that mean…?", Kim asked.

"Yeah", Ron said before adding "Dimensional travel. It's a cornucopia of disturbing concepts."

"Anyway", Shego interrupted. "We aren't trying anything evil, so you might as well-"

"We?", Kim asked. "But Drakken isn't here."

"Doy."

"But… But where's Rufus?", Ron asked.

"Don't know", Shego admitted. "Probably with Ratigan."

"Ratigan?", Ron asked. "What's he doing with you? Do you have him under mind control or something?"

"No. He, Basil, and that Veeken girl are looking for Drakken."

"Okay", Ron said. "I had you up to the 'No', but after that, it's a bit blurry."

Shego sighed. Sometimes, it wasn't even worth looking at that kid.

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~

            Ratigan landed on top of the metallic garbage can, its lid making a slight clink under his feet. He looked around, examining the surroundings mentally and physically. He had tuned in on Drakken's presence ever since they got here, but there was another presence there. Something vaguely and frighteningly familiar. Either he had had a bad naco before he left, or… No way. Ratigan was right the first time. The Banard-Stokes theory was a cornucopia of disturbing concepts.

            To Be Continued…

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~

Author's Note: The Banard-Stokes theory is a Dark Materials thing. For those of you who haven't read them, here it is: The Banard-Stokes theory is that there are other worlds aside from ours, 'material and sinful' as the Librarian from the second chapter. I decided to use this theory because it sounded like something that would involve dæmons. And now, the obligatory banter between me and Ratigan.

            ~          *          ~          *          ~          *          ~

Ratigan: So who's this mysterious being I get to meet?

Shego2Drakken: Well, you're in an alternate universe, so maybe…

Ratigan: No. Way. I get to meet-?!

Shego2Drakken: (clamping his mouth shut) Hey, don't spoil the surprise for them!

Ratigan: (grumbles)