An alarm blared and wall-mounted lights flashed on and off throughout the hanger bay. On a catwalk above the main floor, one dark-haired henchman shouted through a bullhorn held to his mouth.

"All available troops, report to the hanger floor. Go directly to the hanger floor. The intruder is to be captured at all costs. Do not let her get away," he said, the bullhorn amplifying his voice to carry all the way across the bay.

Shego leaped back from a dozen onrushing WWEE henchmen, landing in a handstand midway up a pile of crates. She immediately pushed off with her arms, coming down feet-first on the highest crate of the pile. Already WWEE operatives were scrambling up the crates in an attempt to reach her.

With a malicious grin, Shego used the advantage of higher ground to drop several plasma bursts directly on top of her pursuers, scattering them across the floor and setting some of the crates on fire. She then turned and jumped, vacating her 'queen of the hill' position only seconds before a henchmen who had managed to locate a sidearm pumped several bullets near the space where she had been standing. Landing on the wing of a nearby air-shuttle, Shego ran up it and over the passenger cabin, dropping out of sight on the other side.

"Do not use projectile weapons!" insisted the individual on the bullhorn. "There's too much potentially explosive equipment here. Shock batons only."

"Or go ahead and try some guns!" said Shego, suddenly appearing behind the henchmen with the sidearm, despite there being no obvious way she could have crossed the deck area to him without being seen. She struck him on the head, knocking him unconscious. "You chumps don't worry me," she said.

"Yes, very good, hit her with the forklift!" shouted the henchman with the bullhorn, still attempting to direct operations.

It was enough for Shego to glance behind herself and see twin forks barreling down upon her. She had failed to notice its approach due to the fact that it was a high-tech hover forklift, floating nearly silently a foot above the deck when in use. Shego responded by executing a vertical leap that took her high enough to pass over the forks and drive feet-first into the passenger seat. She knocked the WWEE operative driving the vehicle out of his seat and replaced him at the wheel.

"Hey, this is a pretty smooth ride," announced Shego. She began using the forklift to chase henchmen around the bay, knocking them around like bowling pins.

Unfortunately, her joyride gave one group of operatives enough time to organize themselves. Marching in formation, they mounted a group attack on the forklift. Dividing in half, one group attacked the forklift from the side with their shock batons, disabling the engine. As Shego leaned down to let loose a barrage of plasma blasts at them, the other group attacked her from the other side. Several electrical jolts hit Shego in the side, causing her to tumble from her perch.

Shego tucked into a roll and popped up to her feet. Using a combination of punches and kicks, she scattered a few of the henchmen who had fallen out of formation and made a break for it. The others formed a line shoulder-to-shoulder and took up pursuit. More henchmen began streaming in from all corners of the bay, joining the formation and increasing its size. Shego was forced further and further back. She attempted to break a hole in the ranks with plasma blasts, but the henchmen were able to parry using their shock sticks.

Soon, inevitably, Shego was forced into a corner. A wall stretched above her, with no convenient handholds and no place to go. WWEE henchmen surrounded her on three sides. They stood silently for a moment, hefting their stun rods, electricity crackling from the tips. There were a lot of them, more than Shego could conveniently count, and her side still hurt from where they had shocked her before. She raised her hands and flexed her fingers, making sure the claws built into her gloves hadn't slipped out of alignment.

This is it. Only one thing to do now, thought Shego. A calmness descended upon her.

Screaming a wordless battle cry, Shego ignited green plasma fire around her hands and charged the army of henchmen.

Earlier

"Where is everybody?" muttered Shego, keeping a watch up and down the corridor. "Someone should have hit the alarm by now. These guys are nearly as bad as the idiots you usually hire."

Drakken's eye twitched. His patience for Shego's put-downs was somewhat less than usual. With effort, he controlled himself and answered. "These corridors are empty for a reason, Shego. I haven't exactly been able to wander around freely, but I estimate this flying fortress of Gemini's is grossly undermanned. It can hold perhaps five to ten times as many troops as Gemini has on station. That probably means they don't check up on each other very often."

"Maybe," said Shego.

"Clearly Gemini is very frugal. Don't pay for anyone more than you need," said Drakken.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's it," said Shego sarcastically. "Or maybe, just maybe, he has trouble getting new recruits. I used to think you were pretty hard on henchmen, but all you do is cheap out on the paychecks and use them for experiments. From what I can tell, Gemini can't get to sleep at night unless he's killed one of his guys as a lesson to the others."

"We all have our theories, Shego," said Drakken dismissively.

They came up to a wall panel consisting of a monitor screen and a keyboard. Drakken punched a few keys and a multi-layered map appeared on the screen, with a small red dot indicating their position.

"You can call up a map on that those things!" said Shego, surprised. She clapped a hand to her forehead, reflecting on how much simpler things would have been if she had known about that feature an hour ago.

"It's a big ship, Shego. What, did you think the WWEE troops had to ask directions every time they wanted to get somewhere?" said Drakken, still punching keys to call up more information.

"No!" said Shego defensively. "I mean, of course I knew. I was just surprised you knew, is all."

"You see, here we are. We're down the corridor from the laundry rooms," said Drakken, tapping the map with his finger.

Shego sighed, then grabbed Drakken's finger and moved it a few inches. "You're looking at the wrong level. We're two floors up."

"Oh. Well, I'm a scientist, not a cartographer," said Drakken.

"Riiight," said Shego.

Drakken growled. "Did you bring one of my computers with you? Tell me you managed at least that."

"Regular prison doesn't wig you out this much," replied Shego tartly. She pulled out a device approximately the size of a compact and handed it to Drakken.

"Regular prison doesn't put me in a shock collar, Shego," said Drakken. He pulled several wires loose from his mini-computer and hooked them up to the access panel in the wall. After typing for about a minute, the symbols altered on the map screen, becoming larger and a different color. "That should be easier to read," said Drakken.

"Mmmm, I'm trying to decide if that's the pettiest thing I've ever seen you do. See, this is what makes me lack confidence in our ability to take on Gemini's private army. When you do things like that," said Shego. She narrowed her eyes and flexed her claws.

"That was a test of my control over the system. I assure you, I have a plan," said Drakken. He assumed a confident pose and began typing again. The map disappeared and Gemini's image appeared on the screen. "Perfect. The vain fool left me plenty of recordings to work with."

"What exactly is the plan?" said Shego.

"You said it yourself. We can't take on both Gemini and his private army. So we'll gather up his henchmen in one place and take care of them first. Then we'll go get my invention back," said Drakken, typing furiously.

"Not completely a bad idea," said Shego in approving tones. "Just do me a favor and hurry it up. Undermanned or not, it's not going to be too much longer before they catch on to us."

Agent Alpha clapped his hands twice. At this signal, two members of the Twin Squad walked out on to the mat and began moving towards each other. Still wearing their helmets, the identical female forms reached out to grapple each other. Alpha moved in for a closer look, prepared to correct their stances. As he came up behind them, though, a sudden flash of realization was triggered.

Wait… Back in Epsilon's office, the henchwoman he was speaking to was the one who caused the feeling of recognition I could not place. I did not see her face, but now I know… that was Shego! thought Masuyo Ichikawa.

He barked an order and gestured for the Twin Squad to form up behind him, then headed out of the practice room. He considered hitting the all-points alarm immediately and alerting the entire fortress. It would be a foolish waste of an opportunity, though. If Shego did not know they were on to her, then he and Gemini could lay a trap. A delay of a few moments until he could alert Lord Gemini would hardly matter.

That was the explanation that Masuyo gave himself. An unacknowledged consideration was that it was simply against his nature as a ninja to broadcast information so widely, even to the ship's henchmen. Let Gemini make that decision, if it was what he wanted.

Soon the door to Gemini's office loomed ahead. Just as Alpha reached out to grab it, the video screen on a nearby wall blinked to life. Gemini appeared on it. "Battlestations! All crew to battlestations. All non-vital personnel are to report to the hanger bay immediately. The intruder Shego has been sighted. You are to capture her alive for questioning. Again, all non-vital personnel are to report to the hanger bay immediately to capture Shego," said Gemini's image, which then vanished. Immediately after, the alert alarm began ringing.

Agent Alpha opened the door, only to find himself looking down the barrels of the mini-missile launchers built into Gemini's mechanical hand. Alpha froze. "It is only me, Lord Gemini."

"Is it? Are we sure about that?" said Gemini, his aim not wavering.

"I… do not know what you mean. Do you wish me to go to the cargo bay and assist with Shego's capture, as you ordered?"

"I ordered no such thing."

"But on the screen you…. Oh," said Alpha, comprehension dawning.

Gemini looked at his minion for several seconds, then lowered his hand. "Well, come in then."

Alpha entered Gemini's office, the Twin Squad following behind him. "If the announcement was a fake, should you not send out a message countermanding it?"

"Oh, should I really? Incredible, I never considered that," said Gemini, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Unfortunately, whoever faked the announcement did something to snarl up the system afterwards. I can't transmit ship-wide."

"Your men are being lured into a trap. I will go to the cargo bay and deal with it personally," stated Agent Alpha, starting to draw a sheathed blade.

"No."

"Eh?" grunted Alpha, confused.

Gemini slammed the palms of his hands against the desktop. "I sense Dr. Lipsky's hand in this. Shego must have freed him. Well, let them tire themselves out against my troops. I know where he'll go in the end. He'll try to take back his precious invention, and when he does… we'll be there waiting for him."

"But… we are on the eve of battle. Do you not need your men for the attack upon the city?" questioned Alpha.

Gemini laughed. "Lipsky has kindly made sure that everyone vital is at battlestations and ready. The others would have been useful for an invasion, but I can rain down destruction without them. You see…. Project Firebreak is fully operational."

"You mean-" began Alpha.

"We are now untouchable," finished Gemini.

The field headquarters of the Global Justice Network was a hive of activity. Agents moved back and forth, carrying messages, discussing plans, and studying images on view screens. All action stopped for a moment, however, when the door at the back of the room slammed open with a loud bang.

The merchant captain who had unloaded the cargo destined for WWEE headquarters strode into the room. She pulled off her oversized eyepatch, which turned out to cover a much smaller eyepatch underneath. She tossed aside the wig of long dark hair she wore, shaking free her natural short brown hair. Finally she doffed the long naval coat, revealing her Global Justice uniform underneath. "I want reports," said Dr. Director, now free of her disguise.

"Dr. Director! We expected you back hours ago," said an aide rushing up with a clipboard of papers. He handed the clipboard to Dr. Director.

"I was worried I was being observed, so I had to stay in character longer than planned to throw off any WWEE spies. Was the emplacement successful?" she asked.

"Yes sir! Our locator began transmitting fifteen minutes ago. Your mission to slip a tracker on board the ship through their supply shipment was a complete success."

"And what is the status of our agents?" said Director, studying the clipboard with one narrowed eye.

"Operatives are armed and prepared. Troop carriers are almost ready for launch. We're going to catch them by surprise and wrap up their entire operation," said the aide with enthusiasm.

"I hope you're right, but if there's anything I've learned over the years-"

"Sirs!" came a cry from a GJ agent at one of the monitoring stations. "Monitoring reports that the WWEE helicarrier has gone on high alert and canceled its cloak. There're ready for a fight!"

"It's that nothing ever goes quite like you planned," finished Dr. Director. "Something must have tipped Sheldon off."

"Sheldon?" said the aide, confused.

"Gemini's real name," said Dr. Director in a disapproving tone. "You really ought to read those files more carefully."

"Er, yes sir. Do we cancel the operation?" asked the aide.

"No. My brother is up to something, and we must stop him, whatever the cost. Proceed as planned," said Dr. Betty Director.

Resume Scene – Hangar Bay

Shego charged the mass of WWEE troops, hands aglow with her power. Just before she reached range of their stun rods, the plasma disappeared from around her right hand as she palmed a grappling hook and thin rope. Leaping straight up into the air, Shego flung the grappling hook upwards, catching a ceiling-mounted cargo hook that had moved unnoticed on motorized tracks to a position directly above. The grappling hook snagged the cargo hook with a metallic clink, and Shego's momentum carried her in an arc skimming over the heads of the henchmen.

The henchmen barely had time to consider pointing their shock sticks upwards when hissing noise filled the air. A cloud of greenish gas was spreading quickly from behind them, covering the floor of that part of the hanger bay in a murky cloud. Pushed forward into a corner as they were, there was nowhere for the henchmen to run to escape the awful green cloud. As it touched each of the henchmen, they collapsed to the ground, twitching.

Meanwhile, Shego climbed her rope, pulling up the slack line behind her to prevent any of the henchmen from attempting to follow her escape route. Within seconds, she was grasping the cargo hook directly. Its motor hummed to life, and it began moving backwards along its track, towards the catwalk mounted on the far wall. When it reached its point of closest approach, Shego began swinging herself back and forth to build up momentum. At the end of her arc, she released the hook and flew through the air, coming close enough to the catwalk to grab the railing. Using only one hand and her remaining momentum, she skillfully swung herself over the railing and landed neatly and safely on her feet.

The bullhorn-wielding WWEE operative ran towards her, still holding his bullhorn up to his face. "Good job, Shego!" boomed his voice.

Shego clutched her left ear with one hand. With her other hand, she snatched away the bullhorn, revealing Drakken's blue face behind it. "What are you trying to do, deafen me?" she snarled.

"Oopsie, my mistake," said Drakken. As he spoke, he took off the WWEE-issue sunglasses and tossed them to one side, then began removing the WWEE jumpsuit he was wearing over his normal clothing.

"So what was with all of that 'no projectile weapons' stuff? Those morons were never going to tag me," said Shego.

"Perhaps that's true-"

"What do you mean, 'Perhaps'!" interrupted Shego.

"But if they were firing at you, you couldn't afford to let them push you into that corner. You know, where we needed them to be so that I could gas them effectively?" continued Drakken, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Okay, you got a point," said Shego. She leaned back against the railing and, incredibly, apologized. "I'm… sorry. It hasn't exactly been a good few days for either of us, has it?"

"An apology? I'll have to note this one down for the scrap book. Not to worry, Shego. This time there's no way we can fail."

"Seems like I've hard that before," said Shego, straightening back up.

"Ah, but this time we shall try harder," said Drakken. "Now come on, time to go deal with Gemini."

Project Firebreak sat in a large control room, cables leading from it to the ship's power and computer systems. A large holographic display showing the WWEE airship and its surrounding airspace was projected over a targeting platform next to the device. Alpha hunched over a security station near the doors, while Gemini looked out a window, his hands crossed behind his back.

Gemini's cell phone began to ring. He pulled it from its belt pouch. "To think, this is what our internal communications have been reduced to," he said before answering. The caller spoke for only a short time. Gemini listened intently before saying, "Yes, I will address the situation," and hanging up.

"A problem, Lord Gemini?" asked Alpha, not taking his eyes off the security screens.

"It seems that Global Justice is launching an attack. Fortunately, we are already at battlestations," said Gemini smugly.

"Can we hold them off?"

"Oh, we can do more than that. With Lipsky's device here, they will be at our mercy," replied Gemini. He stroked the dome of glowing black glass that made up the top of Project Firebreak, then began manipulating the controls.

On the holographic display, a blue glow filled the area around the WWEE airship. A tiny Global Justice jet flew into the glow, then immediately began spiraling out of control and falling. "Hah! Within the field I've set up around the ship, no electronics or combustion engines will work. They can't approach us, and their missiles will fall out of the sky when shot at us. I can even extend the field to target their airships that think they're safely out of range," said Gemini. On the holographic display, glowing blue tendrils shot out, targeting the GJ planes and hovercraft that were trying to stay out of the glowing blue area.

"Lord Gemini. Satisfying as this must be, I must alert you that we are about to have company. Drakken and Shego approach," said Agent Alpha. As usual, his Japanese-accented voice was smooth and unworried.

"Excellent," said Gemini. "You know what to do." He moved away from the Firebreak machine and to another console.

Alpha ordered the Twin Squad to form up with a series of sharp commands. They silently complied. Then he slipped off the hood and mask of his ninja costume and placed them carefully folded on a convenient table. His aging face, complete with vertical scar, stood revealed.

"Too hot in here for you?" said Gemini in mock concern.

"I will honor Shego with my true face, since she was able to remove my mask last time," said Alpha. He pulled out a pair of regulation red WWEE sunglasses and put them on. "You see? I compromise and wear some of the WWEE uniform to show I am your man."

"Oh, yippie," said Gemini in a dry tone.

Before they could consider the conversation any further, the doors blew open, knocked off their hinges by a burst of plasma. In the doorway stood Drakken and Shego. They paused for a couple of seconds, taking in the layout of the room.

"How you doing? We just thought we'd drop in to say hi," said Shego.

"Shego! I was going to make the opening quip," protested Drakken petulantly.

"Well I gave you the chance, but you didn't say anything," replied Shego.

"I was going to. I was just letting the tension build!"

They were interrupted by Gemini clapping his hands together to draw their attention. "As entertaining as it is to watch you two bicker… I believe we were about to have a confrontation here?"

"I've come for my invention, Gemini…. Or should I call you Sheldon Director?" said Drakken.

"Gemini will do fine," replied Gemini, not appearing at all upset.

"Doesn't it anger you that I know your real name? Doesn't it enrage you that I refuse to call you by your chosen title," asked Drakken.

"No. Not really. But back to the matter at hand. You can't have your invention. So sorry," said Gemini.

Shego spoke. "And who's going to stop us from taking it? You think you and Masuyo here can stop me?"

"I think we could, but in fact it's them who are going to stop you," replied Gemini, gesturing at the Twin Squad.

"Who are they?"

Gemini snapped his fingers and made a gesture. All four members of the Twin Squad removed their helmets and shook their hair free. Four copies of one very familiar face looked over at Shego. A very, very familiar face in fact, since the face… was her own. At a command in Japanese from Agent Alpha, green plasma began to glow around their hands.

"Why, they're you… sort of," said Gemini.

Several pieces snapped into place in Shego's head….

(flashback)
"Yes, once they figured out what it was supposed to do from some plans I copied. They had me steal some of Dr. Drakken's other technology too, but Firebreak was the main thing. Then after that… Well, you've already guessed the rest," said Carter.

(flashback)
While she was out of it, Gemini walked forward and ran the metal fingers of his artificial hand through her long dark hair. It was a curiously gentle gesture. He then stepped back and began walking away.

"You cloned me! You stole Drakken's cloning technology, then you stole some of my hair, and you cloned me with it!" screamed Shego. She was so angry, spittle flew from her mouth, and the light and heat from the green plasma glowing around her hands was painful.

"Yes, it was quite the inspired idea, wasn't it?" agreed Gemini. "Agent Alpha, if you please."

Alpha barked several commands, and the four Shego-clones began advancing on the real Shego. She flung several plasma bursts at them, but they countered in unison with plasma of their own, knocking her attacks away and into the wall.

"Foolish," said Alpha. "You can see they share your power. As you will shortly see, they also share considerably in your skills. You are very poor ninja, Shego. A real ninja fights only when prepared, and when he knows he has the advantage."

Soundlessly as ever, the clones attacked Shego. Two led with kicks while a third moved behind her, while the fourth searched for an opportunity to sear her with its plasma-covered hands. Agent Alpha watched from the sidelines in amusement, not lifting a finger.

"Hey! Don't just ignore me," said Drakken, taking a few steps towards Gemini.

"Oh, I'm very sorry," said Gemini. "Here, let me give you some attention." He pressed a button on his control panel, and an overhead fixture suddenly swiveled and pointed its opening at Drakken. From it spewed a stream of acid, striking Drakken directly in the chest. Where it spattered on the floor, the metal smoked and hissed. Drakken screamed, pushed backwards by the force of the acid flow, and fell behind a bank of view screens.

"It's a pity that your employer couldn't- Where are you going!" shouted Gemini at Shego. She had just managed to roll between the legs of one of her clones and make it to the door. Even as he spoke, she was running away at top speed.

"Wise of her to flee. Perhaps she has some ninja in her after all," said Agent Alpha.

"Idiot! Don't just stand there. After her," screamed Gemini.

Alpha nodded and led the Twin Squad in pursuit.

"At least we've taken care of you, Lipsky. Eh?" Even as Gemini started to pontificate, a smoldering blue lab coat was flung at his feet. Surprised as he was, his skills as a fighter were too great to be caught completely off guard. His reflexes and intuitive danger sense caused him to immediately jump behind a convenient equipment bank, thus avoiding the multiple laser shots that followed the coat.

Drakken stepped into view, left in his pants and undershirt after having flung away the lab coat. His hair had come completely unbound from its usual ponytail and it fell freely behind his head. "Lucky for me that I treat all my coats to be resistant to acid. Never know when you'll have an accident around the lab," he said. He then proceeded to fire a quick burst of laser fire at the acid-spewing weapon on the ceiling, and then followed it up by shooting the control panel Gemini had used to activate the weapon.

"No more hidden weapons and tricks. You can face me man-to-man, criminal mastermind to criminal mastermind," yelled Drakken.

An electrical blast knocked the laser pistol of his hand, and Gemini stepped into view, his cyborg hand still crackling from the energy discharge. "Why, you only had to say so, Drakken. Man-to-man, then." He began walking towards the blue-skinned mad scientist.

Drakken considered Gemini's advantage in size, the fact that he was known to be a skilled fighter, and the fact that he was armed with a versatile cybernetic hand. He then considered his odds of winning a one-on-one fight. One word seemed to sum up the situation.

"Yeeouch," said Drakken.

As Shego fled down the corridors of the flying fortress, Agent Alpha and the Twin Squad pursued. The clones didn't fire plasma bursts at her. Though they had copied Shego's powers, their minds were too weak and unformed to be able to concentrate sufficiently to project green fire while keeping up an all-out pursuit. Alpha pulled a throwing star from a concealed pocket and threw it at Shego's back, but she dodged without even looking back. Not that he had anticipated anything else from someone with her level of skill.

When they arrived at a set of elevators, Shego lost a precious couple of seconds ripping open the doors so that she could jump into the shaft. She made it up, though, since Alpha had to specifically instruct the clones to slide down the elevator cables instead of jumping. It was not a maneuver he had anticipated having to key to a single command word.

At the bottom of the shaft, the lowest level of the ship, Shego again had to pause to rip open the elevator doors with claw and plasma. Again this allowed her pursuers to close in. One of the clones came within inches of digging gloved claws into her shoulder, but she was able to push off with a double-kick to its face, tucking herself into a ball and executing a somersault through a swinging set of double-doors. Alpha and the Twin Squad followed her inside.

"Ah, the cafeteria. There is no escape from here, Shego," stated Alpha. The room was indeed a large cafeteria. One large bay window made up the back wall of the room, giving a decent view of the long drop below. Long tables and benches filled up the majority of the room, with a few vending machines on one side wall and a kitchen on the other. Alpha motioned the Twin squad to herd Shego away from the kitchen and the exit and towards the side wall, where she would be trapped.

"Who says I'm trying to escape?" asked Shego, backing up.

"Please, I had just begun to think better of you. Running when you realize you cannot win; that is the way of the ninja. It is almost enough to make up for your foolishness in showing up in the first place. It is unfortunate that in your unfamiliarity with this facility, you have allowed yourself to be backed into a corner. You should have headed for one of the escape pods. Perhaps you might have gotten away," said Agent Alpha.

The circle around Shego was drawing tighter and tighter. The clones were almost in position to make their move, and they had all summoned green plasma around their hands. Alpha raised two fingers, preparing to give the signal.

"Wrong, ninja-boy. I got a real good look at a map of this place earlier. And I wasn't trying to get away," said Shego. She suddenly turned and ripped the front off a soda machine next to her, her plasma covered claws slicing through the plastic and metal like butter. She grabbed two soda cans from the interior, one in each hand, and punctured their tops with her claws. Then she sprayed the contents on her clones. As soon as the cans were empty, she grabbed two more and repeated the process.

Alpha froze for critical seconds, unsure of what she was trying to accomplish. Then he realized that the clones making up the 'Twin Squad' were quietly melting into small piles of chemical goo. "Carbonated soda… makes them melt?" he said.

"You got it," said Shego smugly.

Alpha couldn't resist letting loose with a heavy sigh. "How am I supposed to do my job properly when critical, important, information like that is being withheld from me?" he asked.

"Not really my problem," said Shego. "Now it's one on one, and I have superpowers. You think maybe it's time for you to listen to your own advice and start running? Please say no, because I'm looking forward to kicking your butt around the room."

"My advice is to never fight without an advantage. But who says that I do not have an advantage?" said Alpha. He made several odd motions, pressing parts of his costume, and a chill white mist began to continuously form around him and drift upwards.

"Kind of wanting to know what that is," said Shego.

Alpha smiled and began advancing on Shego. He drew two blades, one for each hand, and held them in an attack position.

Shego responded by letting loose with a plasma blast directly at Agent Alpha. He didn't even try to dodge, but the plasma seems to dissipate and poof out of existence as it hit the white mist. Despite what should have been a direct hit, it failed to harm him in the slightest.

"Yeeouch," said Shego.

Gemini punched Drakken in the gut, knocking the scientist back several feet. "What's the matter, Dr. Lipsky? I thought you wanted to fight me 'man-to-man'? Isn't it everything you thought it would be?"

"That's Drakken to you," said Drakken in a weak voice. He ran at Gemini, attempting a roundhouse punch.

Gemini merely leaned back, allowing the punch to pass inches from his nose. He then kicked Drakken's legs out from under him, causing Drakken to fall to the ground. "I do credit you for your courage," he said.

Drakken rolled away and staggered to his feet. "I don't need your approval. I'm Drakken. Do you know how many times the world has trembled at my near-conquest?"

"Now 'near-conquest' would be the same as failing to actually conquer, wouldn't it? Trying and failing many times doesn't make you a success, Drakken. It merely makes you persistent," said Gemini.

"So? It's not like anyone else has succeeded either. I've come closer than anyone else more times than anyone else." As he spoke, Drakken tried to figure out if there was some way he could activate the room's defense systems and use them against Gemini.

"And most of those times, you've been defeated by a teenaged cheerleader, isn't that right? Oh, I've told you how I had a brush with Ms. Possible myself, but she only defeated me with the assistance of my hated sister. You have no such excuse."

"I'll beat her. I just need to… to try harder, that's all," said Drakken.

"So you haven't really been trying up until now?" asked Gemini, actually sounding interested.

"I-" And for a moment, Drakken wondered. It wasn't that he had been not trying or anything, but had he been giving it his all? Had he ever really thrown himself into a plan 100 percent, doing everything and anything to succeed? Hadn't he always had the knowledge, somewhere in the back of his head, that if he failed he could just try again? Maybe it was as simple as that. Kim Possible had to get it right every time, because she knew that if she lost, Drakken would conquer the world. That was what made Possible always give her all, and just maybe, that was why she always won. Well, that and an annoying streak of good luck. But that was off-topic. What if I- Drakken started to wonder.

He was jolted out of his epiphany by the feel of cold metal fingers closing around his throat. In his momentary daze, Drakken had failed to notice Gemini grabbing his neck until it was too later. Now he found himself held off the ground by Gemini's cybernetic hand, slowly choking to death.

"You were looking a bit distracted, Doctor. If you aren't going to pay attention, perhaps it's time for both this conversation and you to come to an end. It's a pity. I was serious when I told you that in some ways I admire you, you know. Unfortunately, anyone I can admire is someone who is capable of being a rival. And well… I don't tolerate rivals," said Gemini. He gave no sign of strain at supporting Drakken's entire weight with one arm. If anything, he sounded bored.

Drakken frantically kicked at Gemini, to no effect. With his hands, he clawed at Gemini's arm, trying to pry himself loose. The world began to grow black and dim as Drakken's hands slipped down to the connection point between the flesh of Gemini's arm and the metal of his cybernetic hand. Those feel like… trigger points, Drakken thought vaguely to himself. More by instinct than anything else, his fingers slipped into the narrow depressions and pushed in unison.

There was a jolt as the Drakken fell to the floor. Prying at his throat, he managed to loosen the fingers of the metal hand and pull it away. It was at this point that Drakken realized the hand was no longer attached to Gemini. He looked up to see Gemini looking at an arm that ended in a metal stump.

"How did you do that! I always have to use a special tool to hit those itty-bitty detachment points," said Gemini.

"Well you see… I have very small hands. Sometimes comes in handy for the delicate work," rasped Drakken.

"It might be ancient magic. Or perhaps it's some technological device that the WWEE scientists prepared for me. It's really not in my best interest to give you the details. The important point is that I was prepared to counter your green fire, Shego," said Agent Alpha.

He drove a knife towards Shego's neck. She spun out of the way, pushing against his left arm to block his second knife. The spin turned into a roll, taking her over the top of one of the lunchroom tables and leaving it between herself and her opponent. Without her plasma, Shego was on the defensive. Her claws weren't as effective a threat as Alpha's knives.

"Well doesn't that just make you Mr. Clever, Masuyo," said Shego. She walked to the side, moving down the line of tables. Alpha kept pace with her.

"You know my name. You've been to Yamanuchi to research me," said Alpha.

"They don't much like you there, you know that?" Shego suddenly hopped backwards, landing on the table behind her. Alpha jumped on the table in front of him, and they looked across the benches and aisle at each other.

"I am sure they do not like you either," said Alpha.

"Better than you. Sensei even gave me some advice on how to beat you. What do you think of that?" said Shego.

In answer, Alpha leaped at her. Shego surprised him by jumping at the same time. She slashed at him with her claws as they passed each other in mid-air, hitting him in the leg. Unfortunately, she hit a patch of padding and her claws weren't long enough to penetrate. Alpha meanwhile sliced her shoulder with one of his blades, opening a cut that began dripping blood.

"I think that it will not matter," said Alpha as they recovered, each on the other's table. "I have more experience and training. I have greater skill. Better weapons. I've never lost to an untrained amateur."

Shego broke into a run down to the end of the line of tables, forcing Alpha to follow her. "You're talking about Kimmie, huh?" she said as she leapt off the end and turned to face Alpha. He remained on the last table in his line, choosing to retain the higher ground.

"I am. Talented, I'm sure, but who was her master? Where did she take her training?"

"No one, maybe. I don't know. I think she just sort of picked it up," said Shego. He hands began to glow with plasma. She let loose with a plasma blast, not against Alpha but against the table he was standing on. It blew apart underneath him, forcing him to jump to safety. He chose the safe option, jumping away from Shego.

"You cannot defeat someone who 'picked it up', and you think you can defeat me?" said Alpha. He had landed in the aisle, and he watched Shego back up to put some distance between them.

Shego actually laughed. "You think you're better than her? You and your knives and your little tricks. Listen up, Pointy-sama, you're no Kim Possible."

Alpha made his move. He charged down the aisle, rushing Shego. It left him slightly vulnerable, allowing her to land a punch to his midriff as she dodged aside. That was acceptable, though, as it also allowed him to push her back against the bay window. He stood a few feet away, knowing that whichever way she moved would leave her vulnerable to his knives.

"I am not a cheerleader without the courage to kill? Hai," said Alpha.

Shego glanced to each side, but no escape presented itself. "I mean a hero! You're not a hero. Neither am I. But Kim, she is. She doesn't hold back like you and I do. She doesn't think it's okay to fail. She'll take any risk to beat me. That's why she wins."

"It is time to choose your next move, Shego-san," said Alpha. He tightened his grip on his knives.

"Seems like either way I go, odds are I get a knife in the gut," said Shego. The plasma around her hands blazed to life, as she put all her will and power into it. The fire burned hot, and it was so bright that it seemed there was a greenish second sun in the room.

"Seeking to blind me? I think of everything," said Alpha, nodding his head to cause his WWEE standard-issue sunglasses to shift slightly. "And there is no table underneath me to destroy this time."

"See, that's where you're wrong," said Shego.

"Eh?"

"Maybe I can be a hero one more time, if that's what it takes to beat you," said Shego. She pointed downwards and released her green fire, sending it roaring across the deck beneath both of them. The floor didn't so much burn as dissolve, opening up to reveal the void below.

As they fell into the clouds, Shego couldn't resist shouting the words Sensei had whispered in her ear. "Who Dares, Wins!"

Author's Notes:

Next chapter, the cataclysmic conclusion to "Not Quite Heroes"!

Sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry! I know it's been nearly three weeks since the last chapter. I can't even lie and say that things came up, because it was mostly a matter of getting started. Once I got started, the chapter came pretty quickly.

I suppose I'm losing a little momentum on the story, but it's okay. There's only one chapter more to go, plus an epilogue. I should be able to make it to the end. Still, if people could drop a few reviews, it would really help.

Even less humor this time around, but I suppose it's unavoidable. Everything's hitting the conclusion, and there's less room for the funny. I try where I can, though. I hope the fight scenes and plotting were reasonably exciting.

In case you didn't pick it up, Alpha was looking at the rear end of the Twin Squad when he realized where he had recently seen Shego's rear end.

Hmm, can't think of much else to say, so I guess we'll go to acknowledgements.

Thanks to Jezrianna2.0, campy, Corencio, TexasDad. Lil-Lyon, and tito for your comments on the last chapter.

Jez, I hoped you liked what the Twin Squad turned out to be about.