A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply

A/N: Alfred and Dick Grayson Robin/Nightwing are my favorite characters in the Bat-Mythos. It was a real pleasure to put them in the last chapter.

A/N: And as always, thanks for the reviews. Glad you're enjoying reading this as much as I am writing it. Keep reviewing!

Kim, Act Two, Scene Two

"Oh my gosh," Kim said.

"Whoa," Ron gasped. "How… who…. Why?"

They stood at the formerly secret mountain entrance to the Global Justice Command. Smoke billowed out of the gaping hole that used to be the door. Kim reached into her pack and quickly put on her rebreather. Her green eyes narrowed as she instinctively ran into the smoke. Ron sighed and resigned himself to his fate, slowly placing his own rebreather over his mouth and nose. He reached into his cargo pants pocket.

"You need to wait here, little buddy," he told his pet, putting Rufus on a waist high rock outcropping. He also handed Rufus his communicator. "If we aren't out in fifteen minutes, call Wade, the army, call anyone you can get a hold of, even the President if you have to."

Rufus pouted and nodded. "Okay," the talented mole rat nodded and muttered something that sounded like, "Be careful."

"You too."

Ron pulled out his heavy flashlight and charged into the darkness.

"Kim?" Ron called through the smoke. He squinted, trying to make out anything, and brushing his fingertips against the wall to keep his bearings.

"KIM!" he yelled, his voice full of concern.

Ron quickened his pace. He walked as quickly as he dared through the darkness, but tripped! He landed hard on the floor and the flashlight skidded forward, spinning wildly. Ron grabbed it and shined it on the thing he tripped over.

"Ohmigod," he said in horror.

The crumpled body of a guard slumped against the wall. His lifeless eyes stared out at Ron.

Ron did everything in his power not to purge the contents of his stomach, but still lost the fight. He ripped off his rebreather and vomited in the corner. The still thick smoke filled his lungs as he inhaled between wretches. He coughed and slapped the rebreather on again, deeply inhaling the clean air.

He staggered to his feet and pressed on. In the years he help Kim on all her missions, they hadn't seen this kind of devastation. He prayed for Kim's safety in Yiddish quietly, not realizing that was the first time he'd done that. Ron walked slowly, still coughing out the smoke, and carefully shining his light on the ground before him.

Another guard.

And another.

Ron saw the red glow of the emergency lighting system ahead, and narrowed his eyes. He called out her name several times, only to be met with the sound of his own breathing.

"Please don't be hurt, please don't be hurt," Ron breathed.

Ron finally found his way to the control room. Monitors displayed only static, and sparks arced from one open wire to the next. He saw Kim standing dead still in the middle of the room, her hands clenched tightly.

"Kim?" Ron said tenderly.

"Why?" Kim cried.

"Because it is in my nature," a cold, quiet, threatening voice called from the darkness.

Kim turned, immediately went on guard, and snarled as a tall, black clad man with a strange orange and black facemask appeared out of the smoke. He dragged the limp form of Doctor Director behind him. Her face bloodied, and her arm viciously broken.

"NO!" Kim yelled and leapt at the stranger. She flipped and kicked out her foot. The dark man dodged and grabbed her leg, spinning Kim just enough to throw her completely off balance. The cheerleader landed as best as she could, meaning she didn't injure herself badly.

Ron rushed over to Dr. Director and lifted her carefully. To Ron's relief, she groaned and took some air. He pulled off his mask and placed it over her mouth.

"I'm gonna get you out of here," he said.

Kim wasn't faring as well as she'd hoped. Rage blinded her, making her attacks obvious and sloppy. Whoever this was, he was only taunting her, parrying her punches and kicks with too much ease.

"I expected better of you, Kim. This is becoming very tedious."

He emphasized his point with a hard strike across Kim's jaw. Only instinct saved her from having it shattered as she turned with the punch at the last moment. Kim had never been hit like that in her life and landed in a heap at his feet. Her rebreather flew off her face, and she got to her knees slowly, stars flickering in her peripheral vision.

"Good bye, Kim Possible."

Kim heard the unmistakable sound of a hammer slowly pulling back. Her vision cleared enough to see her enemy holding a large revolver. She rolled under his arm and punched him in the stomach with all her strength. Before he could recover, she rolled, mule kicking him under his exposed jaw, sending him staggering back. Kim pressed her attack and landed a series of devastating knee and elbow strikes, finally bringing him to his knees.

She angrily ripped off his mask, only to realize she had been fighting a robot.

Where there should be eyes and a nose, there was a small monitor. It flickered to life, and she saw an image of her real assailant.

"Ah yes, sorry I couldn't meet you in person, Kimberly Anne Possible," the new enemy then read off her street address. "I had other matters to attend to. Oh, and since you do seem to have some skill after all, I think a ten second head start will do."

The number ten appeared over his image.

Nine…

Eight…

Kim gasped and ran for the door as fast as she could, counting down the seconds. The bright glow of the early autumn sun lit her way to safety.

"RON! GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!"

"Two…" she counted as she dove through.

One… Kim rolled to the side and huddled for cover.

A bright orange fireball blasted through the remnants of Global Justice's command center.

Kim stood and shook the dust off her pants. Ron rushed over and tilted her head, examining the damage.

"Ow!" Kim complained.

"You'll be okay, Kim," Ron said sighing in relief. "Who was that guy?"

…..

Kim and Ron sat in the waiting room of the intensive care unit at Middleton Hospital. Dr. Director survived surgery, but was still in critical condition. Kim's mother hovered around, not saying anything, but fretting over her daughter's new injuries. Ron paced nervously, trying to process this new enemy. He killed. He liked killing. It was like this understood boundary they had with their foes. This new guy crossed it. And, none of their enemies even owned a gun. Yeah, they had plasma lances, black hole generators, hypnotic disco balls, armies of artificial drones, but quick and dirty guns?

Kim didn't mention the gun to her mother and forbade Ron to as well.

"She's lost a great deal of blood," Dr. Possible said matter-of-factly. She read the report on Dr. Director's injuries, and looked at Kim. She glanced away, knowing that it could have as easily read "Possible, Kimberly A." on the folder.

"Will she be okay, Mom?" Kim asked, her jaw still throbbing.

"You and Ron saved her life, Kim."

Kim would have usually played off her heroism, claiming "No big," but this time she leaned forward and hung her head.

…..

Slade leaned back in his chair, as Shego settled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Good to see you," she purred. "How was Japan?"

"Eventful. The Yamanouchi School put up a better defense than I had counted on. But they have also been neutralized."

"Yeah," Shego started, glancing away from Slade and curling a lock of her black hair over her ear, "about that. I heard about how you took down GJ and all, but don't you think that was a little extreme?"

Slade slid Shego off his lap and stood. He crossed his hands at the small of his back and glared. "You wanted me to send a message," he said coldly.

Shego nodded solemnly and sighed, looking at the floor.

"Ah, yes," he said, his voice still soft and chilly, "I brought you a present."

Slade reached down and picked up a long, canvas wrapped package. Shego took it from him, and was surprised by its weight. She opened it slowly. Her green eyes widened as a greedy smile curled her lips.

The Lotus Blade.