A/N: Standard Disclaimers Apply

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. Keep'em coming!

ACT Five, scene one

Ron woke. His head throbbed, his arms ached, and his brown eyes slowly opened. He drew a deep breath to clear out the cobwebs only to find himself strung up like a marionette in some kind of cavernous lair. He arched his back painfully and looked around, only to find himself locked in a grey, featureless metal room. The greenish glow of fluorescent lighting buzzed overhead.

Ron strained as much as he could bare, but could see any door. All right, he thought, it must be behind me.

"Okay, Ron," he said aloud, "just keep calm. You're okay. You've just been captured by Shego and locked in some Godforsaken hole! Nothing to worry about. Riiiiiight."

"They say that talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity," a familiar voice cooed.

Ron craned his neck to see a paler Jinx. Her eyes were still bright lavender, but her hair was now shocking pink and done in stand up pigtails. A haughty grin curled her lip as she rested a hand on her hip.

"Yanno, pink is a good look for you," Ron said nonchalantly.

"You're so sweet," Jinx said darkly and walked slowly before him.

"Just answer me this, did I mean anything to you, or have you been working for Shego the entire time?"

Jinx smiled ruefully, "Oh Ronnie, I haven't been working for her at all."

A deep, whispered voice, like a blast of frozen air, silenced the room.

"She works for me."

Ron gasped. He recognized the voice from the attack on Global Justice. "Ohmigod," he breathed. "Slade."

"Ah, you've heard of me," Slade said softly but filled with danger. He slowly stepped into Ron's line of sight. He stood at his full height, towering over the boy, and his hands were neatly folded behind his back. Jinx sidled over and leaned against the dark man.

"What do you want? You already know Kim's gonna find me and…"

"I'm afraid the intrepid Miss Possible has her own worries right now," Slade growled. "But she doesn't really interest me."

Jinx smiled at the blond boy darkly.

…..

"I tell you once more, Miss Go, they are not ready!" Dementor screeched.

"And I tell you, Bucket Head, they are, and they're going tonight. We're at company strength, and that should be more than enough to take the target."

Her green eyes narrowed dangerously and one hand crackled with energy.

"Any further objections?" Shego growled.

"No," Dementor conceded.

"I didn't think so. Now call in the rest of the Council. There's a good lad."

Dementor growled under his breath as he left. Shego unrolled several maps across the conference table.

…..

"Aw man!" Cyborg complained. "No way I'm gonna get the T-Ship up and going with a pod missing."

"I know you are most capable," Starfire said softly, placing her hand on the massive teen's shoulder. "But time is of the essence. I shall fly to this Middle Town and aid Robin."

Cy looked up at the willowy girl. Star's brilliant green eyes were narrowed with determination. He sighed and pulled his lips into a lop-sided grin as he stood. The Technological Titan wrapped his metal arms around the alien girl.

"I know I can't talk you out of it, so I won't," he said. "Just be careful, Star. BB and I will catch up as soon as we can."

"Thank you," Starfire said, returning the friendly embrace.

Star looked up, smiled, and hovered before taking to the sky.

Beast Boy slid out from under the T-Ship and watched quietly. As Star disappeared in the clouds he let out a huffing sigh, "You let her go?"

"There wasn't a choice," Cy said as he picked up his tools.

Beast Boy handed his best friend a Phillips head screwdriver, "No, I guess there wasn't."

…..

Robin closed his eyes and counted down the minutes since he discovered the bomb. One hour, nineteen minutes. He slowly reached into his belt and took out his electronics repair kit from its pouch. The Teen Wonder flexed his fingers, drying them against the supple leather of his gloves.

"Okay," he said under his breath, "you've defused a Joker bomb, a Two-Face bomb, a Firefly bomb, so this should be no problem."

"Robin?" Raven said, sensing her best friend's worry.

Kim didn't help the situation any. She paced through the house, searching madly for anything else that looked suspicious. The problem was that everything now looked worrisome. Her brother's workshop, which Kim always thought was dangerous, now looked as if it heralded Armageddon.

Robin looked out the door and then back up to Raven.

"No, you can't teleport it," he growled. "It probably has some kind of pisoelectric trigger. This is Slade we're talking about."

"That's not what I was about to say," Raven snarled.

"I know," Robin sighed. "Rae, we have about seventy five minutes to find the other bombs. I need you to locate Dr. Possible and the Twins. Now."

"Okay," Raven said.

Robin focused completely on the plush covered bomb. "And get out of the house, please. If I make a mistake then you're going to get killed."

"But what about…"

Robin turned around and crouched like a prowling tiger, "I said, 'Get out!'"

Raven took a step back and drew her cloak about her body. Her lips curled into a small grin as she saw through his act. Raven suddenly threw her arms about Robin and kissed his cheek.

"Didn't know you cared," she said sarcastically and then phased through the floor.

Robin turned back to the bomb with the warmth of Raven's lips on his cheek and the soft lavender scent of her hair in the air.

…..

Raven phased into the room in front of Kim. The red head fell back.

"Will you stop that?" she said. "It's really freaking me out."

"We're getting out of here," Raven announced, leaving no room for argument.

The dark girl released her soul self and enveloped Kim Possible. Kim floated in an absolute void and almost screamed before being deposited on the ground at Middleton High. Kim shakily stood and got her bearings.

"Never do that to me again," she said as she felt her lunch lurch in her stomach.

Raven ignored her as she sat cross-legged with the old Rocket Buddies sweatshirt folded in her lap. She quietly spoke her mantra and expanded her consciousness. She felt the unconditional father's love beaming from the shirt, and as much as she didn't want it, a small tear marked her cheek.

"Raven?" Kim asked. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," Raven said softly. "Your father really loves you."

Kim said nothing, but sat on the steps of the school. She folded her legs under her and tucked her head on her knees.

"I've found them," Raven stated matter-of-factly. Without warning, Raven took to the sky, enveloping the red headed heroine in a black aura and towing her along.

The young witch pulled her communicator from her belt and activated it.

"Raven calling Robin," she said slowly.

"Raven," Robin responded, "go."

"I've found the Possibles, and we're on our way to retrieve them."

"That's great Rae. I almost have this bomb figured out… Ah hell…."

The communicator went dead and a suddenly thunderclap shattered the silence of the mid afternoon over Middleton.

"Robin?" Raven called desperately. "ROBIN!

….