Chapter 9

They crept silently down the tunnel, the darkness thick around them. Behind them, the light of day was growing dimmer, while the glow of artificial illumination was growing ahead.

At the end of the tunnel, they looked cautiously into the cavern. A sleeping bag was in one corner, with personal effects nearby. A couple of medium-sized crates sat open near the back, the straw protecting whatever had been inside scattered around. The hum of a gas-powered generator was plainly audible. Lights on poles made stark shadows. There was no sign of Drakken.

They stepped in, and looked around.

"There's a laptop," said Kim, pointing to it sitting on a shelf of rock. "Maybe we can find out what he's doing."

"I'll check. I know all his passwords," said Shego.

But before she could even start toward the computer, the sound of footsteps drew their attention. Dr. Drakken came into view from the back. Evidently there was another cavern they hadn't seen behind him.

He stopped and stared. KIM POSSIBLE!" he shouted, "What are you... when... how... how do you DO that? Oh, never mind."

"Give it up, Drakken. This time we're stopping you before you get started!" said Kim.

"Then you should have been here days ago," answered Drakken with a grin. He caught sight of the others in the cave, and his eyes grew wide. "Shego? What are you doing here? I thought you'd be dead by now."

"The rumors of my demise, yadda, yadda," answered Shego, "I'm working for Kim, now. What's this I heard of you already getting my replacement?"

"Oh, how rude of me!" He turned and called back into the other cave. "Oh, CeCe..."

A figure, obviously female, stepped into the cave and stopped, her upper half still in darkness.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, time out!" said Shego, "Who is she, and WHAT IS SHE DOING IN MY CLOTHES?"

The mysterious person was indeed wearing Shego's signature green and black jumpsuit.

Drakken actually had the grace to look embarrassed. "Well, I admit I DID miss you a little, Shego." He grinned again, "At least, until I finished her!"

The person stepped fully into the light.

"A BeBe!" gasped Kim.

Drakken looked at her. "Oh, no, this is CeCe. Upgraded from the BeBes. And I fixed that little glitch in her programming. She obeys only my orders."

Kim absently noted that, besides wearing Shego's jumpsuit, she also wore a black wig that was styled like Shego's hair, but the length was only to just below her shoulders.

"Intruders present," said CeCe, "I must protect Dr. Drakken."

She took another step forward and looked at Ron. "Subject: name uncertain. Sidekick to Kim Possible."

"My name is Ron Stoppable!" shouted Ron in exasperation.

"Data added to file," CeCe noted. "Threat: none."

"Aw, man..." muttered Ron.

"Subject: Kim Possible. Teen hero. Threat: minimal."

Kim frowned, and pulled out the Kimmunicator.

"Subject: Shego. Former assistant to Dr. Drakken. Threat: moderate."

While CeCe was assessing threats, Kim worked on the Kimmunicator. Drakken noticed her actions.

"If you were going to try that high-frequency sound again, forget it. She's proofed against it," he said, "What part of 'upgraded' didn't you understand?"

Kim growled, and put away the device.

"You want to see just how 'moderate' a threat I am?" said Shego in a dangerous voice. She took a stance, and ignited her hands.

CeCe vibrated briefly, and seemed to disappear. She reappeared directly in front of Shego. Her right arm swung forward in what was intended as a killing blow.

Only Shego's lightning-fast reflexes saved her life. She managed to back away just far enough so instead of the fist emerging from her back, it drove the wind from her, and sent her flying into the wall of the cave, stunned and gasping for breath. Her green glow vanished.

"Threat nullified," said CeCe.

Drakken started laughing.

Kim got an angry expression. She turned her left wrist up, and pushed a button on her glove.

To the others in the cave, she seemed to disappear. To her, they all seemed to stop moving. Instead of her rocket skates, she was wearing a new version of the super-speed shoes. These had a timer in the circuitry so they could only be used for a maximum of ten minutes a day, subjective time.

She ran by CeCe, tapped her on the shoulder as she did, said "Tag, you're it," and disappeared down the tunnel to the outside.

CeCe took one very long second to analyse this unexpected development, then turned on her super speed and followed Kim outside. Her head swivelled 360 degrees, searching. She caught a glimpse of auburn hair as it disappeared around the side of the island. CeCe followed.

Kim ran on top of the water, enjoying the sensation. "Oh, yes, this still rocks!" she thought, grinning. "But back to business. I DO have a time limit, after all." She looked over her shoulder, and saw CeCe. She was far behind, but slowly cutting the distance between them. "Okay, I got her away from Ron and Shego, but now what? Think, Possible!"

The urgency of finding a plan of action intensified when something green exploded in the water where she had just been. She looked back to see CeCe's hands glowing green. She had just launched another plasma ball.

"Just like Shego!" Kim thought, "I guess Drakken really did miss her." She cut to her left, away from the island, and again a plasma ball exploded where she had been.

Kim ran around the island, dodging plasma as she did. She was starting to get winded, and time was getting short on her shoes usefullness.

Suddenly an idea hit her, and she grinned. She saw what she needed, and headed for it. At the bottom of a twenty-foot wave as still as stone, she stopped and turned to face CeCe.

The humanoid robot ran up and stopped five feet from Kim, hands still glowing. "So, Kim Possible, you have decided to stop running, and face me."

Kim grinned at her, then tapped the button on her glove, turning off the super-speed shoes.

To CeCe, Kim appeared to stop moving. The illogic of the move confused her. "Why would Kim Possible give up the advantage of speed?" she thought. Her fuzzy logic system pondered, then decided a course of action.

She fired up her built-in jetpack and set it to hover mode, then turned off her super speed.

She watched as gravity pulled Kim Possible, still grinning, beneath the surface. She watched the teen heroine dive deeper, swimming away from her and toward the shore with sure, powerful strokes.

"Does Kim Possible think she is safe, now?" she wondered, "My plasma blasts can still reach her."

Intent on Kim, it took CeCe a moment to become aware of a roaring sound behind her. Her head turned around to find the wave they had been standing beside was breaking over her.

She had just time to say, "Oh, snap," and disappeared beneath the wave.

Kim had guessed right that Drakken had not waterproofed CeCe. As she swam, she heard electrical noises as the dangerous robot shorted out.

Unfortunately for Kim, in the heat of the moment, she had forgotten that salt water conducts electricity rather well. Kim found herself surrounded by the wild current, her muscles jerking and burning. She tried to scream but merely succeeded in releasing the breath she had been holding.

The electrical torture ended suddenly, but Kim was in pain, and was desparately trying to breathe. She forced her very uncooperative muscles to bring her to the surface, just in time.

She took several deep breaths, orienting herself. The shore was nearby, for which she was grateful. She didn't have the strength to swim far.

After several minutes of struggling, she made it to shore. She collapsed on the beach and rested. But not for long. Ron and Shego were still with Drakken. She had to get there.

She forced herself to stand, and trudged toward the cave, staggering as she walked.