Oh what the hey, here's Chapter 6. Ends on a better note, even if it is a cliffhanger. Toodles.

Chapter 6: Realization

The two were already enjoying a meal at a different restaurant, this time having the slogan of "Insane Breakfast Burritos for Breakfast." Even though Kim and Ron came an hour and a half after breakfast was considered over, the manager recognized Ron and decided to let him and Kim eat breakfast. Ron still didn't understand why everyone recognized him and not Kim, and what he did to deserve that attention.

Waiting for their order, Kim was reading the paper while Ron was reading the comics as usual. Unfortunately, the paper hadn't covered the sixteen deaths of the Forefathers mafia, and there was really not much going on other than stocks, stocks, stocks, and to add some variety, more stocks. Makes sense for a paper that's published in a huge economic city such as Bay City, but it struck Kim odd that you had about 40 pages of business and stocks, but managed to slip in some comics.

Ron was whining. "Okay, I've read all of these strips, but I don't get any of them!"

Like the paper, they were all business-related and political comics. Not the usual favorites Ron always read. Kim stood corrected.

"You sure are getting a lot of friendly faces around here, Ron." Kim took a moment to realize.

The thought almost drove Ron crazy. "I know, and I have no idea why! It's always, 'Ah, Kim Possible, and.. what's your name?' Now it's, 'Holy berserker on a tiolet, it's Ron Stoppable! You're always with that one chick…'"

"'That one chick?'"

"Something among those lines, yeah."

Kim felt a bit awkward about this. "Weird."

Ron shared the same awkward expression, but for a different reason. "I hope Rufus can handle himself."

"Well, he was adamant on watching over Yori."

They had left Rufus to guard Yori, armed with a shotgun that he secretly brought off the internet. Kim and Ron were a bit skeptical when the little naked mole rat volunteered to watch her alone, but he was intent on fulfilling his duty and letting the two go out to eat. After the door closed and locked, the little mole rat pulled out his secret toy. He wasn't that surprised that Ron never noticed it in his bag, but was when airport security never caught it. Despite how tiny he was, he had a firm grip on the weapon and was going to make sure no one walked in the room.

Unfortunately for Ron's beloved pet, his duty wasn't going to last long.

"I suppose you're right. He's always got something planned."

Right after that, their order arrived. A breakfast burrito for each. Scrambled eggs with cheese with sliced hot dog wieners in a homemade flour tortilla really does the job in the morning. After they finished, both felt full. Kim came to realize something after letting out a tiny burp, which Ron chuckled at.

"Ate too fast." She excused.

"Sure…" Ron replied sarcastically.

"By the way, Ron, I've noticed that you came here for Bueno Nacho, but we haven't really even eaten at Bueno Nacho like always. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what's the deal?"

Ron leaned back in his chair with a smug look on his face. "Research, KP."

"Explain."

"Simple. Go to other kinds of restaurants, check out their food, design, logo, prices, combos and the deal, and see if I can get any ideas for Bueno Nacho if the corporate board needs me for another meeting."

"Ferno never contacted you after the explosion?"

Ron shook his head. "Not really. Probably wants to keep it low just in case. It was only two days ago, after all."

Outside in an alleyway behind the restaurant, they were being eavesdropped by someone. They were holding some kind of microphone up to the wall, wearing a headset.

"Sounds like Stoppable still has Bueno Nacho in mind."

"That's good to hear. They're not aware of your presence?"

"Please, I'm too good for that."

"That's my girl. Have they said anything about the bombing?"

"Stoppable captured the assassin last night, and it sounds like he left his pet in charge to protect her."

"Is that so? I'm surprised so much of the media covers his partner, Kim Possible, and not him. He has no less potential than she does. I'm still amazed how well he handled the board at the explosion."

"He sure has a way of manipulating his enemies into thinking he's a mere buffoon. Nice way to throw off the enemy. Still, I'm not confident the assassin will stay captured for long."

"You left your D-Mic back here last night."

"I forgot. From where I was at, it looked like he and Possible shared some dialogue after he incapacitated the assassin, but I couldn't hear it. Probably wondering what was going on and all that."

"Don't make any quick moves. Remember, you're out there to get information in regards to what's been going on lately. Possible makes it like the movies where the hero is recognized and praised and makes it look like it's all about action."

"I know, I know. The last thing I want is attention from a bunch of people I don't even know."

"Any words from our main lead?"

"He's not home."

"We should invite him for dinner sometime."

"I've asked him several times and he rejects every one of them."

"Really? That's too bad, really. I kind of like him."

"I know where this is going, and I'm just going to ask for you to stop. Remember, I'm getting information here."

"Sorry. Anything interesting?"

"Well…"

"Remember, KP, don't go for the hot sauce now." Ron teased.

"I'm going to be careful what I drink from now on, Ronnie," Kim playfully said, then spoke normally. "Really Ron, when do I repeat my mistakes?"

He whistled innocently, "Oh, I can think of a few times…"

Her eyes narrowed, "Oh really?"

"Really. Remember that time we ran through the halls of Dementor's lab and we both slipped on the floor because it had been mopped? We both got up, ran and slipped again."

"That's because Dementor thought it was some kind of evil idea not to put a 'wet floor' sign for us to see. And you slipped again too!"

Ron crossed his arms. "I always slip, though. Point is, you still slipped, too."

Kim pouted. "Okay, that's one. Name another."

Ron started to giggle. "How about that one time when we were taking on the Bloody Sunsets in Alaska?"

Kim buried her head in the table. "Don't remind me, I know, I know. I tried to run on the ice, fell, tried to run on it again, and fell, then I remembered I had ice skates. That was embarrassing. But if I remember correctly, it was you that got hit by the ice gun and turned into an ice cube."

"More funny were their initials. Acronym, Synonym, Antrim, what's that word?"

"Acronym. That's the Ice Shadows for you. I still can't believe we fought a group in there called the Demented United Men of Bemused Anti-Security Society. That doesn't even make sense."

"That's a killer acronym, though."

"Ha ha," Kim sarcastically laughed. "Really, we fight a serious villain, then a cult breaks out in his name, and they're worse than Dementor, Killigan, Monkey Fist and the rest."

"How about the Maniacal Order Redemption Of Nightmares? Virtual Reality's nice and all, but when you're standing right in front of the bad guys, why bother to duke it out with helmets?"

"Not as bad as the Sinister Terror Field Union. Those guys thought their name meant that they built evil robots. I gotta admit, those robots weren't too bad. The Ice Shadows were deadly all right, but not smart or tactical..."

"Heh, villainy's best left to the professionals, eh, KP?"

"And even they don't do it right." Kim stretched out her arms. "I don't know about you, but I could use some sunlight."

Ron shrugged. "Sure."

"Sounds like since Drakken took over Bueno Nacho, the two haven't really had much to deal with."

"The Ice Shadows, huh?"

"Nothing more than some stupid fad that made some teens want to become villains, if the newspaper reports were accurate."

"It sounds like they're leaving."

"Change position. I know."

The two had been walking out of the restaurant still talking about the many groups within the Ice Shadows that were just bad. Besides Gil, Ryan, and even Ron, teenagers didn't make good villains. There was a reason most of their villains were all adults, most in their thirties, less than few in their twenties.

In the middle of their conversation about the group Permanent Odyssey Order, Kim's Kimmunicator went off.

"Hey Wade, what's…" Kim stopped when she noticed his expression.

"Yori. She's escaped."

Ron quickly grabbed the Kimmunicator from Kim's hand. "You're kidding, right?"

Wade shook his head. "I had my satellites on your room the whole time. She woke up, but just as we predicted, she suffered a severe side effect, almost going into a phase of insanity. Don't worry, Rufus is okay, but she's out there somewhere. Each time I find her, she moves to the roof of another building. Guess where I found her last?"

Ron groaned. "Right in front of us…?"

Wade nodded. "And I'm guessing what she saw was…"

Kim and Ron noticed they were holding hands.

"Aw man, you don't think…?"

"Probably… Sorry you two, but she might have found out. The thing is, because of what she's going through, she might not even know, but out of the locations I picked her up on, she stayed there the longest. Now I can't even find her."

Kim sighed. "Keep looking, Wade."

Ron's eyes had worry in them. "Please…"

Wade also had a worried look. "I'll do my best."

"What are they talking about?"

"I'm not sure, but it sounds like the assassin escaped and went insane from something."

"Keep your focus on the assassin for now. You'll get spotted if you hang around the team."

"Copy that. Moving away from current position."

"If you find the assassin, don't make any moves unless she seems to be talking to a colleague. Leave the team alone for now."

"Understood."

The girl put away her D-Mic and vanished.

Kim and Ron had been pretty silent after breakfast, walking through the streets. Ron had called his hotel room and Rufus picked up, telling him everything that happened. Ron was able to make out that Yori woke up in an instant and headed out the balcony the next second. There was no stopping her, but her weapons remained hidden under the bed.

Kim felt a bit troubled by Ron's feelings toward Yori. What if Ron still had feelings toward her? She couldn't help but feel a bit jealous, but at the same time, she couldn't blame Ron for being so worried. Even if there might have been fireworks between Ron and Yori, he still considered her a friend and was extremely worried about her. The thing that puzzled her the most, however, was how sensitive Ron was being toward Yori's feelings. Was it really that important to break things to her slowly and quietly about their relationship?

Maybe she was missing the point. Out of all the times Kim had an interest in someone, she never thought about any consequences. It was just like her missions, though. Sometimes you had no time to think about your next move and what it would do. You just had to take it. The problem was, Kim had plenty of time to think about relationships. Also, she never took anyone else's feelings into consideration. Why would she? Would it matter if the cheerleading squad had not approved of a crush? If anything, Kim loved the fact that they may have been jealous. That's what Josh and Erik were all about. Well, Josh was a cool and nice guy, but he took things a bit fast. Erik on the other hand, that was more peer pressure than anything else. At the time, Bonnie was trying to get to Kim about a boyfriend, and Kim fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker.

But each time, Kim never took Ron's feelings into consideration, or any guy that may have liked her. There was that one night at the tree house, but that was just their friendship. Erik came by just on time to ruin the moment, as if knowing Kim would leave Ron for him. But everyone knows how that ended. Kim never really experienced having feelings for someone when they were taken and had feelings for someone else. There were a couple of times when it happened, but either she quickly forgot about the crush as she had done a few times before, or it wasn't that big enough of a crush to get all depressed over.

That wasn't Ron, though. She knew him well enough that if he had gotten a crush on someone or got into a relationship, he would have made sure everyone was cool with it. Kim was usually supportive of Ron's choices as he was with hers, but just like him, she would sometimes secretly disagree. Ron may not have had a lot of friends, and neither did Kim, but he wanted to make sure no one ever got hurt. It wasn't like he was going to base his relationships based on what others want, but he wanted to keep everyone cool.

Now the situation was with Yori. He wanted to stay with Kim, but he had no intention whatsoever of blowing off Yori or forgetting her. Ron's limited number of friends were important to him, regardless of who they were or what they did. His friendship with Kim was the most important, but he wasn't going to blow off anyone because of it.

That's where Kim felt troubled, if not guilty. She felt bad for completely ignoring and blowing off Ron when she crushed on someone in the past, but he didn't do the same when he crushed on someone, and now was no different. Sure, he didn't tell her all the details when he went with Yori to look for Sensei, but at least he gave her a head's up, even if it didn't make much sense. Was she really that insensitive and shallow? Perhaps at the time, but even now she felt like that wasn't something that had changed. Sure, Ron was always the sensitive one, but she was hoping her insensitivity towards something else other than her squeeze would be a trait that would die down.

Maybe some things in life were much more precious to Ron than Kim. Ron would dwell on things, but Kim would simply forget such things. On both ends, sometimes it could be good, but often it would be bad. That's everyday life, anyway. On missions, they both held grudges and never forgot their target. Kim would remember who got away and always had to get her villain, and Ron would keep a list of villains who knew his name. Despite Prom night, most of the villains they fought since still didn't know his name. Odd that everyone in Bay City does.

Kim felt the situation was a tad bit ironic. She was a girl who could balance saving the world, homework, and cheerleader practice. But when it came to crushes and squeezes, she couldn't. Yet here's Ron, who couldn't balance high school, changing the world, homework, and Bueno Nacho, but yet he keeps all his friends in line. Kim was his main priority, but they would sometimes spend days with their friends. Sometimes Kim had her days with Monique, and sometimes Ron had his days with Felix. The two had their space, but no more than their everyday lives before they started dating.

It never really concerned her how Yori would take everything if she ever recovered. Would she take it well? Would she be hurt? The two questions never crossed Kim's mind.

Ron's mind was on the other girl who wasn't his girlfriend. He was dead-worried about what Yori may have been going through. He wasn't only concerned about how she would take the truth of him and Kim, but also her mental instability and what it was doing to her. He couldn't help but ask himself why he decided to leave Yori alone with Rufus, even though his pet assured him that there was nothing anyone could do. Yori woke up in one second and was out the next. But it wasn't like he wouldn't act any different if Kim were in the same situation, but she wasn't. If Kim and Yori were in the same situation, that would be another story. It would probably drive him insane.

Sure, Kim was his girlfriend, but other than a cut on her arm and the usual plot against them, she wasn't in any real danger. But Ron considered Yori a close friend and a bit of a crush. Well, she was a huge crush, but once he started dating Kim that changed. But he went to Yamanouchi twice, the first time to train himself to save Kim, and the second time to complete the full training. He didn't see Yori either time, as she had graduated earlier than he and Kim did, not that the schools were in any way identical.

Just when the image of her crossed his mind, everything suddenly went blank.

No one was next to him. Not Kim, not anybody walking around in the city, nothing. The only thing he could see were the buildings, but everything was in absolute silence. No pigeons, no traffic, no street lights working, no train above the city, no animation whatsoever.

Except him. Ron could see his arms, legs, everything, and feel them. Dreams have a tendency to occur from both first-person and third-person view, but this didn't feel like a dream at all. Things were in first person as everyday life had always been.

"It's been a long time, Yori…"

The dark echoed voice was an unfamiliar one. Ron couldn't determine where it came from, but it was like he was overhearing a conversation.

"Do I know you…?"

It was Yori's voice, and it came from the right.

"Not as the person you once remembered me as…"

The unfamiliar male voice came from high above. Ron turned upward, but saw nothing.

"You…"

Below Ron's feet.

"Now you remember... Excellent…"

To the left.

The dialogue then continued in Japanese from all directions. Ron didn't understand any of it despite being in Japan numerous times, but there was a sickening feeling to it. Both voices had a harsh tone to them, as if Yori had been encountered by an old enemy. Yelling between the two came out as a confrontation broke out and then a lot of thuds and hits were being heard. It took Ron a while to realize that whatever was going on, he was hearing a fight. He could hear grunts from both Yori and the unfamiliar, but Yori finally let out a painful cry.

Everything then became silent. The fight stopped.

The unfamiliar male voice echoed from all directions, but it sounded faint. "That's a good girl… No, I'm not going to kill you… I have something else in store for you… How about I reunite you with an old friend… You'll thank me later…"

The voice completely faded out before it continued.

"Stoppable-san? Is that… you?"

Yori's voice sounded normal and extremely close. No echoes, no bizarre directions, nothing. Ron could have sworn Yori was near, but she sounded like she was in pain.

"Stoppable-san… it is you!"

Ron couldn't believe what he was seeing. In an empty and silent city, he saw Yori. She was on top of the building to his left, standing on the edge. She dove off of it, landing perfectly and safely onto the concrete. She stood firm across the street from him. But nothing looked real. Everything was becoming distorted, including him and Yori. It was like a bad television signal.

"Yori?"

"Stoppable-san…"

Even Yori's voice had distortions, but they weren't electronic. Yori then sprinted across the street towards him and grabbed his hand, followed by a hug. Ron felt like he was hallucinating just a few seconds ago, but he could feel Yori completely. It was no different from when Kim held him. She was real, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. Other than Yori holding him, nothing felt real. Not the bizarre colors, not her awkward appearance, his own, nothing.

"Stoppable-san, I require your bravery and help. Please…" She was calm in her tone.

"… Is that really you, Yori?" Ron asked, unsure of what to think of everything. He decided to go along with it.

"I'm doing everything in my power to contact you. You are in great danger, as is Kim Possible, but I need your help."

"Okay, how can I help you?" He had no idea he sounded like an employee at some fast-food restaurant.

"Right now my mind is unstable and I'm suffering a side effect from the mind control. I'm currently in a place where I can't move, and that is why you can hear me speak and think clearly. It won't be long before I lose control, so I will make this quick."

"Let me guess, you want me to find you right now?"

"No. Tonight, seek me out. I hope to recover by then."

"Will you be okay?"

"I hope so."

"Can you tell me what's going on and what happened to you?"

"I cannot remember anything. All I know is that I was released from some kind of mind control device and I'm unable to control my body for the most part."

"Ron?"

Ron recognized the voice. "That's Kim's voice."

Yori looked startled. "Stoppable-san! Please wait! I need to tell you who did this! It's… no… not again! I can't… Gyaaahhahah! Please, Stoppable-san! Get back!" She was starting to let out loud painful screams, but whatever Ron was seeing and hearing started to fade in and out repeatedly.

"Ron? Hello?"

"Yori! Wait!"

Everything instantly went white, blinding him. When everything cleared, everything was back to normal. The city was in movement again, the sounds of traffic and people being clearly heard, and the first thing he saw was Kim in front of him, trying to grab his attention.

"Ron? What's going on? Can you hear me?"

Ron let out a painful groan and grabbed his head. "What just happened?" He leaned against the wall of one of the buildings, his spine letting out a sickening thud as he fell against it.

Kim had a concerned look on her face. "Ron? Are you okay? We were just walking quietly when you suddenly froze, but you made a lot of faces like you were hearing or seeing things."

Ron tried to get a grasp on what just happened. "Everything just went dark… One second I'm walking with you, and the next second I'm in the city but all alone. No cars, no noise, no life, nothing. But then I see Yori."

"Yori?"

"Nothing felt real, Kim. But she told me that she knew what was going on and couldn't control herself. She wanted me to look for her tonight."

"How's that… don't tell me she also learned how to contact you?"

Ron let out a painful groan. "I don't know. This wasn't like when Sensei freaked me out with that gravy ghost. I heard different voices, too. It was like someone was fighting her."

Kim tried to understand everything but she couldn't figure it out. "I don't know what to tell you, Ron. I'm not going to tell you that it was a hallucination, but… I don't know."

A beeping noise then came from Ron's pocket. It sounded like Kim's Kimmunicator, but the tune was different. Ron pulled out the device in his pocket, and it was the little gadget that Nev gave him.

"Ron, your vitals just froze for a second. What happened?"

Before Ron could say a word, Kim broke in. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, did you just say his 'vitals' froze? How did…"

Nev chuckled, anticipating this. "This little toy is more than just a communications device. I've also programmed it to scan Ron's vitals. It's not that difficult to do it when the object is near his waist, perfect for scanning all areas of his nervous system, bloodstream, yadda yadda."

Ron was no less than surprised. "And you didn't tell me this why?"

Nev had a sheepish look on his face. "You never asked."

Kim rolled her eyes while Ron slapped his forehead.

"Sorry about that, but I did this because I figured something would happen if Ron came into town, and boy was I right. Too bad I didn't place any bets. But anyway, what just happened, Ron? From the scans I got, everything just went to hell. Your brain shut down, your blood pressure went low, your nerves were twitching all over your body…"

"I think Yori gave me some kind of vision, but man, my head hurts."

Kim decided to speak for Ron. "He said that everything just went blank. The only thing he saw were the city buildings. Nobody, no traffic, no life, but Yori was there, telling him about waiting for tonight, that she couldn't control herself. He said he also heard someone's voice and it sounded like there was a fight."

"Unless someone was trying to take over his mind, I might have to agree that Yori was trying to send him some kind of message. Even though it's written in stories that ancient ninja warriors were capable of just about anything, from inhuman movements to entering the minds of friends and enemies to read their moves, I'd believe it. Then again, I don't doubt the existence of the supernatural no matter what it may be."

Kim on the other hand didn't believe in such things, but was in no mood to debate over it. "How would she be able to do that in the state she's in?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. Even if her mind is working and her body is freaking out, well, forget it. She wouldn't be able to jump across buildings."

Ron finally spoke out. "She said she was inside a building in a room where she couldn't move and was able to concentrate, but knew it wasn't going to last, but she started screaming in pain afterward."

"Sounds like that's how she was able to get some control before freaking out again."

Kim was surprised how confident Nev sounded. "You know this how?"

Nev shrugged. "It's just a guess, Kim. I'm no expert on telepathy. Even if Ron was on a sugar high I don't think his mind would have made up something like that. Now if he were on drugs, that's another story, but before you ask, I've scanned his body and there's no traces of anything ever. He's as clean as a whistle."

"Even if he wasn't, I'd know."

"I have no doubt there, but you should keep a close eye on him for the rest of the day, Kim. If he has this kind of reaction, there's no telling what will happen if she tries to contact him again."

"I still don't understand how she's able to."

"Don't live by the logic of 'See to believe'. We can't see things like values, thoughts and emotions, but they're there. Things you can't possibly imagine exist, in visible form and not."

"Not what I was getting at, but that makes sense. I was referring on the 'how to' deal."

"Oh, that. Well, the Japanese were believed to have supernatural abilities in the past, long lost in history. I wouldn't be surprised that if Yori attended a Ninja Academy, that she would learn such things."

"I thought that stuff was just in movies and anime."

"Hard to tell. A lot of the culture lies on what we conceive as myth and legend. I'm not sure if it's real myself, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was proven to be. I just wish that kind of stuff still existed today. Life would be a lot easier if I learned how to swordfight in an inhuman manner, not that my body would allow it."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind. Regardless of Japanese legends, true ninjas live in mysterious ways. If Yori's a graduate from a ninja academy, no doubt she's learned a few tricks, and I'm not surprised she used some in a time of need."

Kim just nodded to acknowledge what she heard. Seconds later her Kimmunicator came off.

Wade didn't look too pleased. "Before I say anything else, Ron, you need to turn your chip back on!"

Nev whistled. "Busted…"

"You know, I forgot how I even turned it off. First it's busted by Gemini, then I turn it off and I don't even know how."

None of the other three were surprised.

"Well, I guess this means I'll have to do a manual reboot. I should've known better than to leave old technology on you both."

"Both?" Kim asked. "I thought you just had Ron chipped."

Wade shook his head. "How else do you think I keep up with your location?"

"The Kimmunicator?"

Wade had a playful tone in his voice. "You didn't have it with you when you went back to the Prom with Ron that night! You left it at home!"

Kim had her usual unimpressed look. "No wonder you sounded so calm when we told you we were going out."

"Even if I didn't keep you tracked, I knew it was bound to happen sometime, but I still saw everything."

"Nice." Nev complimented. "How old are those chips anyway?"

"Four or five years old."

"Ouch. Not exactly brand new technology."

"Maybe I should have them turned off and removed so that I can give them new ones."

"There's an idea. How would you do that?"

"Oh, trust me, I have my ways."

"Magicians never reveal their secrets, eh Wade?"

Ron still had a headache and wasn't exactly in the mood to listen to techno babble. "Love to chat, but I've got a pretty big migraine now that the pain's worn off… for the most part."

"Nev sent me all the details already. You should probably get back to your hotel room and rest. Besides, you might want to see how Rufus is doing."

Both Kim and Ron nodded, turned off their devices and continued back to their hotel room.

It took Ron more than a few hours to get back to normal. It's one thing to have your head hurt after receiving some kind of telepathic message sent through your head the first time, but the after effect is another. Unfortunately for Kim, she felt like Ron had transferred his pain to her. The entire day she had been bored to death channel surfing, and there was nothing for her to watch. Sure, there were martial arts movies, cartoons and a lot of violent movies, but Kim thought they were either boring or unrealistic for her tastes, based on her own experience. There were a few things on, but they weren't enough to keep her entertained for long. First there was a bloopers show. So many bloopers for today's latest shows, and one blooper for 'Pals' and 'Agony County', and they weren't even that funny. Then there was some kind of cheerleading competition, but Kim found herself surprised that she was bored of it. Maybe the music choice wasn't a good one, and the routines were terrible. Instead of showing difficult timing, athletic abilities and maneuvers that Kim had to endure all those years of middle and high school, the routines on TV consisted nothing more than the girls showing off their assets. So not Middleton. It wasn't a surprise that they all received low scores.

Kim did find something interesting that took her mind off things for a good half hour. It was some kind of story, looking like some low-quality CG footage, but the dialogue was strong. Kim almost fell off the bed when she realized what it was.

A video game review.

Ron had taken note of this and laughed at Kim's reaction, also telling her that lately some of the best video games have production values and stories that rival that of the top movies. But that was well over an hour ago. Kim didn't know how she didn't see that one coming.

Now it was nearing 9 PM and Ron couldn't fight the feeling that he needed to do what he was instructed to do earlier: Go out and find Yori. Kim still wasn't sure if he'd actually find her, and she was reluctant to let him go at it alone. He refused to take a step away from the window.

"Are you sure you can handle this, Ron?"

Ron stretched and checked everything on him. He was already in his mission clothes. "I think it's just something I gotta do, KP. Alone."

She was laying down on the bed reading a magazine she brought with her, lowering it. "That's what worries me, Ron. What if it turns out she's not okay?"

Ron chuckled. "Are you worried about me, KP?"

She scoffed. "Duh, Ron. What if it's a setup? You don't even know where to go!"

Ron tossed a few things into his utility belt. "I'll contact you if I need you. Besides, I'm packed."

Kim went back to read her magazine. "Ron, with what?"

….

"Ron?"

Ron was already out of the room. The door was completely open and was letting in a cool breeze.

The night of Bay City. Traffic, loud noises, the sound of the train flying between the buildings, a cyan and blue glow giving the city a dark but futuristic feel.

Ron was sitting alone on the edge of one of the taller buildings. It was the same building that he and Kim had fought Yori on earlier. He sat quietly near the edge of the building, looking down on it like a ninja would in movies. The city was quite beautiful at this time.

When he had arrived earlier, he wasn't sure if there was a correct place for him to go. Would he meet up with Yori, or would Yori meet up with him? Maybe she would have picked this place, even though it looked nothing like it did last time. Ron could remember there was a lot of fog or smoke in the area, as if a helicopter had just taken off. The lights on the edges were blaring and blinding, and the building next to it lit all of them up. This time, the place was completely dark. No lights nearby, nothing. Only the blue lights on each of the corners would fade in and fade out, sometimes making Ron completely dark or lighting him up in blue.

Inside, Ron did feel worried. Not that it was the first time, but it felt a bit nostalgic going back to the location where he had an earlier battle, and the marks were still there. Yori's blood was near another edge, and Kim's blood was near the middle of the huge painted H. Not a lot, but an easy reminder of yesterday's events.

Ron's thoughts were quickly diverted as he felt a cool breeze pass by the hairs of his neck.

"You're here…" he quietly spoke with his eyes closed. He slowly stood up, turned around and opened his eyes.

Just as he predicted, Yori stood there quietly. She looked just like the girl he had known and missed from Japan, not the mindless zombie with too much makeup that he had to fight earlier. She had a weak smile, as if she were still in a lot of pain but trying to hide it. She also looked relieved to see him.

Was everything back to normal?

"Stoppable-san? It's really you…"

The two stood across from each other with a moment of silence between them.

"… You had gotten the message?"

Ron rubbed his head. "Yeah… what was that?"

"I was trying to contact you. I see I was successful for the most part."

After she finished her sentence, she slowly walked towards Ron. Chills almost went up his spine. This wasn't a kind of walk to say hi or anything. There was something peculiar in the way Yori moved her arms, legs and hips. He had a bad feeling about this, but he wasn't going to let anything wrong happen here.

Before he knew it, Yori was giving him a huge hug and squeezing him tightly. Not something she had done before, and not the usual of Japanese welcoming customs.

"It's really you!"

Okay, everything was back to normal.

Ron felt a bone in his spine pop before he could mutter out a word. "You're squeezing me…"

She released him, embarrassed to what she had done. "I'm sorry. It's just that I have not seen you for so long."

Ron pressed hard against his back, popping his spine again. "I know."

Yori now had a humiliated look written all over her face. "My deepest apologies for everything that has happened."

Ron quickly turned his head to her. "You mean you knew? Yori, what's going on?"

"Stoppable-san… I… I can't remember everything. All I remember is that I came here to find and… kill you. But it was not by my own doing. No, it was… Something powering my will… instructed… I could see what was going on, but I could not control it…"

"So you saw everything that had happened since you came?"

Yori barely nodded. "Yes, but I do not remember who had done this to me. I tried as hard as I could to control myself, but the mechanisms on my ears, I could not stop it."

Ron sighed. "You don't remember who did this? That doesn't make life much easier…"

She now had a shy look on her face. "But I am grateful that you were the one to have successfully removed the device. Thank you."

Ron knew exactly where this was headed, as Yori took a few more steps closer to him, but he took a few of his own back. "You're welcome. So how… I mean, how did you know about how you were going to recover?"

"Nothing but hope. I do not understand it myself, but I knew the after effects of the device removal was bound to wear off. When it did, I remember waking up on this very rooftop, but that was a few hours ago. My head is still in pain, but I am better for the most part. To be honest, I do not understand it myself."

"Weird…" He looked relieved, but it was clear something else was bothering him.

She was able to read the look in his eyes. "Stoppable-san? What is it? Is something still wrong… You are not happy to see me?"

Ron took a nosedive in his mood. "What? No no no no no no no…! If anything, I'm more than glad you're back to normal, but it's just that…"

Yori giggled. "You finally figured it out… about girls."

Flames erupted in Ron's mind. 'She doesn't know… oh man…' She must not have remembered what she saw earlier that day.

"Yeah… but Yori… about that…"

She had a sad look on her face. "You don't feel the same, do you?"

Ron let out a frustrated groan as he covered his head. "I… did, but you see, Yori…"

Her look of sadness increased as she waited for Ron to finish the sentence. He had no idea how he was going to break it to her.

After 20 seconds had passed, he finally let out a huge sigh. "I'm taken… I'm dating already…"

Yori's heart stopped for a mere second. "You… but… I…"

Now she was silent, but less seconds passed before she continued.

"You did not tell me… why? Why did you not tell me this when-"

Ron raised his hand to her face, instructing her to pause. "It wasn't always like that, Yori. It's just that I didn't know you had a thing for me until you flew away in that plane, but I didn't know when I'd ever see you again, and before I knew it…"

"You found someone else?" Yori now had a skeptical look on her face. "But Stoppable-san, you realized that I had feelings for you."

Ron sighed. "It was just something that happened. I didn't look for someone else, Yori. She was beside me the whole time…"

"Oh…" She quietly raised her head in realization. "Kim Possible."

Ron nodded. "Please try to understand, Yori."

She let out a weak smile. "You've known her for so many years. It… doesn't surprise me that you two would get together."

Ron didn't sense any sarcasm or anger in her voice. "We both kind of blocked out the possibility with the best-friends-only thing. It's just that…"

Yori held up her hand, mimicking Ron earlier. "You need not explain, Stoppable-san. I feared that when we would meet again your heart would be taken by someone else, but I must say that I am envious of her."

Ron wasn't convinced. "Yori, I didn't know how to break it to you, but I don't want you to think that I'm just going to ignore you because I'm with Kim. I didn't want your feelings to be hurt."

"Hurt? Oh, Stoppable-san, you have such a great big heart. Even if it's your heart I do not have, please… please let me fight by your side. I have not known anybody as brave and comical as you are. I know we are in a situation, but please, let me help. Even if we can't be together, it will be my honor to continue to fight alongside you."

Yori bowed as she always did.

"I will accept the truth as it is, but I still wish to aid you in any way that I can."

Ron put a hand over his fist and bowed.

"I'd be my honor to let you."

Just as Yori and Ron rose up, the two exchanged a smile. Even if things were different, the two were very happy to see each other, as friends. Suddenly, Yori's eyes went elsewhere.

"We're not alone, Stoppable-san."

Ron slapped his forehead. "I should've known Kim would-"

He stopped as he noticed there was a tiny red glowing dot on Yori's chest. It was moving back and forth slowly, as if someone were holding a flashlight to her but was nervous. Yori didn't recognize it, but Ron did as the dot came to a complete stop over Yori's heart.

"GET DOWN!"

He darted towards Yori as fast as he could and pushed her off her feet, knocking them to the ground. A gunshot could be heard in the middle of it, but once the two found the stairway building, they quickly ran and hid behind it.

Yori was breathing fast. "Stoppable-san, your shoe!"

Ron took a second to inspect his right shoe. A small bit had been taken off by a bullet, but no harm was done to him. It only took off the edge of it. It didn't go through it or anything. He was going to look past the edge of the wall when he noticed the red glow was on the floor near them.

"Yori, do you have any smoke bombs?"

She shook her head. "Other than my fan blades I am not equipped."

'Right, we took her weapons…' Ron started to dig through his utility belt. "Guess I'll have to use one of mine then. Listen, you stay here. You're the one they're after."

"How do you know? And what about you?"

"Trust me on this. I'll look for them."

"Five months later and you are more brave than ever. Good luck."

Ron nodded as he stood up. "Cover your eyes and don't breathe."

A few blocks east, the sniper looks at the situation through the scope of their gun.

"You have got to be kidding me… Can't believe I missed…"

She kept her focus on the edge of that building that led to the steps. Sooner or later their target would make a foolish move. Suddenly, everything went grey.

"Dammit, a smoke bomb!"

She quickly turned her eyes away from the scope and pulled out a pair of binoculars. From the outside they looked like ordinary binoculars, but it was built out of the latest technology. Thermal and night vision were two of many modes were built in. She could still see Yori's heat signatures on the other side.

"Hmm... only a diversion. Looks like whoever she was meeting up with ran off." It was too dark to make out any faces, but she recognized Yori's silhouette immediately.

Little did she know that 'whoever she was meeting up with' was behind her.

Ron was on the opposite side of the building where the girl had set herself up. It wasn't really that difficult to find her, since the dot on Yori's chest was a clear indication. If the bullet hit the west side of the building, it would have come from the opposite direction; east. Ron had used the smoke bomb to give himself an escape with the grappling hooks in his gloves. He was surprised it actually worked, though, but now came the question of stealth.

The girl was armed with a PSG-1 Sniper Rifle, fully loaded with the exception of one bullet. He was armed with nothing but diversionary weapons. Smoke bombs and the like, most homemade from Japan.

The sniper didn't seem to know that Ron was anywhere near her. She kept her sights focused on Yori, who was sitting patiently on the building. Ron wasn't sure how to handle this. Walk up behind them and tell them to stop? Try to knock them out? Fight? This girl could have been the one they had been looking for.

Time wasn't on his side. Any second the girl would have changed her strategy and gone after Yori with something else. Yori was in danger now, not him, at least not yet. Ron decided to creep behind the girl as quickly and quietly as he could. He would have the element of surprise if he could pull it off, as long as Rufus didn't make any noises. He'd been sleeping too much lately.

'Now or never, Ron…'

He began his approach.