Outside the lair, several yards away, and hiding behind a boulder, Kim cautiously surveys the exterior of the lair for any visible signs of detection devices, while Wade scans the lair.

Kim: "Anything, Wade?"

Wade: "I'm reading massive energy surges emanating from the lair. It's interfering with my other scans. I'm sorry Kim. I can't tell you what to expect in there except something huge and powerful. The only sure thing is that it's a trap."

Kim: "No shock here, Wade, but what choice do I have? If I want to save Ron and Rufus I have to play Drakken's game and I'll have to win. I just wish my chances weren't as low as Ron's midterm grades."

Wade: "I might have just the thing to better your chances. Do you have your compact?"

Kim takes out her pink colored compact from her backpack.

Kim: "Do you even have to ask?"

Wade: "If you turn the top a full turn, you'll arm it."

Kim: "An explosive?"

Wade: "Something even better for this situation, an electro magnetic pulse grenade. The extremely powerful electro magnetic pulse it emits will permanently disable any electrical device."

Kim: "I take it I shouldn't be near it wearing my battle suit when it goes off."

Wade: "No, once set, you'll have three minutes to get out of the one hundred yard blast radius. Otherwise your battle suit will be reduced to just off the rack."

Kim: "Guess everything can't go your way. Still, it might definitely be useful. Thanks Wade."

Wade: "Good luck and be careful."

Kim: "I will." (turns off the kimmunicator) "Hand on Ron and Rufus, I'm coming."

Kim places the kimmunicator into her backpack and slides her compact in a slot located on her belt. She raises her right arm and fires a grappling line from her suit toward the top of one of the three towers of the lair. She then quietly climbs up toward the towers roof. There, Kim finds an access opening for the ventilation system. Using her laser lipstick, she removes the grate covering the access opening and enters the large ducts that aid in the lair's climate control. Kim crawls through the surprisingly spacious air ducts, traveling from room to room and peering through the air vents until she spies what she has been searching for. Kim's eyes narrow and her anger rises as she watches Drakken pacing back and force on a catwalk as Shego, leaning on a the catwalk's rail, reads the latest villain magazine.

Drakken: "Where is she? This is so like her making me wait to have my revenge. Doesn't she have any manners?"

Shego: (still reading her magazine) "Maybe your synthrodrones finished her off."

Drakken: (stops and turns toward Shego) "Yeah, and I'm popular with the ladies. Please Shego, either Kim Possible is up to something or…"

With their attentions preoccupied, Kim uses her lipstick laser to cut an opening in the air duct. She attaches a clamp with a rope to the edge of the new opening of the air duct and silently climbs down toward the ground.

The large room houses a supercomputer with a huge monitor, a control panel underneath the catwalk, and a papered covered desk in the corner. As her feet touch the ground, Shego looks up from her magazine and spots her.

Shego: "… she's right here."

Shego flings her magazine onto the catwalk. She jumps over the rail, lands several feet in front of Kim, and readies herself by activating her powers, indicated by her glowing hands. A sick smile develops on her face. Drakken turns around, leans over the catwalk's rail and looks down on Kim.

Drakken: "Kim Possible, nice of you to finally show up."

Kim: "Where's Ron?"

Drakken: "What? No hello, no how's it hanging or whatever you teenagers say nowadays? I'm hurt."

Kim: "If you really want to feel pain, come down here. It will so make my day."

Drakken: "I'll pass, but if you want your day made then wait until you see what I have in store for you."

Drakken reaches into his suit and pulls out a remote control. He first aims it at the ceiling and presses a button. The ceiling begins to part and the two halves slowly recede revealing the night sky. Drakken then points the remote toward the floor, and press another button. The floor begins to shake and Kim and Shego struggle to remain on their feet. A large circular platform rises slowly out of the floor through its circular opening. Resting on top of the platform, a large, sophisticated instrument activates and hums as electrical energy flows through it at an enormous rate. The platform continues its assent, passing the catwalk until it stops will above the opening in the roof. Drakken presses yet another button, and the instrument begins to slowly swivel on the platform until it stops at a predetermined position.

Drakken: "Do you like it? It's my particle canon, which fires an intense powerful beam that can instantly destroy anything I so choose. And I choose Middleton."

Kim: "You can't!"

Drakken: "I think I just did."

Kim: "Thousands of people will be lost if you fire that particle canon."

Drakken: "Yes and among them almost everyone you have ever cared about and loved. You can save them though. All you have to do is reach the control panel beneath this catwalk and press the big red button. But before you start with the heroine act, there's a price."

Drakken then aims the remote toward the floor and a smaller platform rises out of a different opening. On top of this platform stands a medium sized rocket supported by a circular ring platform and strapped around the rocket's middle by a single metal band, their arms pinned to their sides, are Ron and Rufus, who are a foot or so above the floor of the support platform. They struggle futilely as terror and horror begins to replace Kim's anger. Ron finally notices Kim and their eyes lock just as the platform finishes its assent, a few feet below the catwalk's height.

Ron: "Kim!"

Kim: "Ron!"

Drakken: "If you press that button, you'll deactivate my particle canon, thus saving Middleton and countless lives. But as a consequence, pressing that same button signals the rocket to fire and thus sending your devoted boyfriend and sidekick along with his rat thing up towards the stratosphere. Now I know what may be going in that pretty, little head of yours. You could first save your beloved buffoon and thus going with your heart's strongest desire. Unfortunately, thanks to Shego and the information she obtained by scanning your fancy suit, sensors imbedded within that platform will signal my particle cannon to fire the moment you get anywhere near it. You'll most likely save him, but you'll exchange his life for everyone else's in Middleton."

Kim: "You're… despicable and sick."

Drakken: "Oh, I'm not done yet. So save your insults."

Drakken press still another button on his remote and a large digital clock's crystals light up behind Drakken. It begins to countdown from five minutes and shows minutes, seconds, and milliseconds.

Drakken: "Once the clock reads all zeros, both the particle cannon and the rocket fire and you lose everything you hold dear. Whatever choice you make, you lose no matter what. So, choose. Sacrifice the one to save the many or sacrifice the many to save the one. Tough call, I would hate to be you right now. What's it going to be? Tick-toc Kimberly Ann, tick-toc. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!"

Kim just stands motionless, downtrodden, shocked, and appalled at the situation Drakken forces on her. Everything slows down as Drakken's laughter seems to fade as though she travels miles from it. She looks up at the particle canon as it sits idle, at least for five more minutes anyway, and knows that she has to stop it. Otherwise, so many lives will be lost. In her head, she knows that this is the choice she has to make, but then she looks right at Ron. Her heart wants to choose him and to save him. Then it hits her. She became so focused on the problem that she nearly forgot she may have the solution. She looks down at her belt and slides out her compact and stares at it for what seems to be hours. Then Kim hears a familiar voice that has always been there throughout all her joys and struggles, and it pulls her back into reality.

Ron: "Kim, you have to stop that cannon. You have to save Middleton. Forget about me and Rufus. Save Middleton. Always remember that I love you."

Kim: "Ron, I know. I love you too but I'm not going to lose you or my family and friends in Middleton." (turns to Drakken) "Drakken, you forgot one thing."

Drakken: "Oh, and what's that?"

Kim turns the top of the compact and arms it. The clock reads three minutes and seven seconds.

Kim: "I always win."