"The kimmunicator," Kim continued, entering into that usual grip of panic that went over her at times—Ron had never really known what to do in those situations. "The kimmunicator, Ron. I need it. Wade really has to know about this."

Ron blinked. He had no idea where the kimmunicator was. It didn't belong to him. Or maybe he did know where it was… this latest news had rather thrown him off. "Uh, Kim? Isn't that your responsibility?"

She blinked, green eyes rather dazed. "Is it? Oh, Ron. I feel so stupid, I'm having the most random day ever. Kimmunicator, kimmunicator. I was sure I grabbed it this morning!"

"Sometimes you keep it in your bag…"

"Backpack!" She darted over to where it leaned against the wall.

She really was out of it. It must have something to do with him. Oh, yes, that was a nice thought. He was indeed the Ron-man. He made the ladies fall to their knees. Why wouldn't it be unreasonable that Kim wouldn't get a little dilarious?

Because she was Kim. Kim wasn't like that.

Somewhere in his brain came the beginnings of the tiniest thought, one that proceeded to jump forth—not very far. So there was some sort of copy of Kim out there. And he had just kissed it. His own words from last night, directed towards Kim: "You kissed a synthodrone?" This Kim, this impossibly gorgeous Kim Possible right here, there wasn't some weird movie kind of twist that this was indeed the clone? That was a creepy thought.

But no… this was the Kim from last night.

Unless…

She was skipping back, kimmunicator in hand. "Now I promise I remember how to use this!" She set to slamming buttons.

Ron stared. Well, the thought had vanished, at least. "Uh, Kim? That button?"

"Oh. Duh. See, I really am out of the loop."

He had to admit, it was rather funny to see her this way. Cute, really. Was this how all couples felt about each other? "Well, someone made a clone out of you."

"Synthodrone, actually," Kim replied. "Which makes it all the creepier. I mean, synthodrones are impressive beings…."

The miniature screen of the kimmunicator wavered, then opened into view. Wade's face appeared. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "For crying out loud, guys, it's a Saturday!"

"And an emergency," Kim said. "We have a definite sitch."

"Not another disaster at the prom?"

Ron laughed—and earned an elbow from Kim. "Something else."

"But the prom was fantast—" Ron began. Another elbow.

"Ron, really," she hissed.

She didn't care about announcing their new-found relationship? "But I want to freak Wade out with this!"

That almost woke Wade up. "Freak me out with what?"

"Well, last night," Ron tried again.

Kim wasn't allowing for it. Yanking the kimmunicator from Ron's view, she interrupted with the new news. "Wade, I think Dr. Drakken made a synthodrone copy of me."

Now Wade was really awake. "He made what?"

"A synthodrone," she repeated. "Like Erik."

"Erik was a synthodrone? A robot?" Wade looked almost sick. "You mean you kissed a—"

"I didn't kiss him!" she shrieked. "We never bothered to get back in touch with you, but Erik turned out to be an evil robot created by Drakken to capture me."

Wade stared. "Oh… so…"

Kim nodded. "He's made another one. Could you… watch out for that? It's really weird, and we've already had a run-in with the thing."

"Sure thing. In fact, I have to way to scan for that sort of disaster. If I had known I would have used it against Erik."

That would have been something to know, Ron thought. A week of jealousy could have easily been saved. He watched Kim, waiting for her reaction. It most likely would have saved her a lot of pain, as well.

It wasn't quite what he expected. The hand holding the kimmunicator shook, and her face paled. "You have a way to do that?"

"Yeah. Bio scans. Very simple."

"Gotta go, Wade, bye." She shut off communication.

"Rude enough?" Ron asked.

She took a deep breath, color rushing back into her face. "Look, I'm just very stressed. And if I had known about that scan, I would have asked him to use it on Erik."

Just as he had been thinking. Except… "How often do you ask Wade to perform scans on guys you like?"

"Not enough, apparently." She returned to her bag and stuffed the kimmunicator in there like it was an object of severe embarrassment. "I need to find Drakken, Ron. He can't get away with this."

"You're not going to have him scan me, are you?"

She stared at him a moment, just like she had before whenever he had said something dumb. He hadn't said anything dumb, had he? Oh, he was going to have Rufus give him some therapy about this later.

Then she laughed. "What for?"

"I could very well be a synthodrone!"

"Ron, you're not a synthodrone."

"And what makes you so sure?"

Another laugh as she swung the bag over her shoulder. "Trust me, I know. Now let's get out of here."

Ah, return to the lair. Not that Shego much cared. It was just another chance to investigate her wide collection of conditioners in a search for something powerful enough to combat electricity. She still couldn't believe that stupid Kim Possible synthodrone had thrown her like that… she easily could have died.

On a platform above her, Drakken was busy with yet another mechanical project that she would never care to understand. So the guy was a genius in some ways, but still a moron. A savant. Isn't that what it was called? An idiot savant.

"Isn't this wonderful, Shego?" he practically sang as he forced a screwdriver into a section of metal. "We have Kim Possible locked up, and our own Kim Possible to do our bidding! And everyone believes her to be the real thing!"

Eh, nothing was good enough—she really had to start being more snotty about her hair products. There was still the homey route, though. Maybe there was some mayonnaise in the fridge… disgusting, but nothing was better for conditioning. "Yes, Drakken, you are so wonderful. Emperor of the Universe, or whatever she called you. Do you realize that she is still down there?"

Drakken paused. "Oh. Well, we'll bring her some food later."

"Or leave her to die."

"Yes. Yes. I'll leave her to die in that basement. A brilliant plan. After all these times I've tried to kill her and failed."

Shego highly doubted Kim Possible would die. Not if Drakken had anything to do with it. He was far too soft-hearted, no matter what he said about herself. She'd have to go down there and finish Kimmie off herself. Leaving them to die just wasn't her style. That is, she'd go and finish Kim off if Kim hadn't escaped yet. Shego had to hand it to the girl—she was brilliant.

She hadn't intended those laser ropes to hold for days, anyway. She hadn't intended to be arrested, either.

"There's also the little problem of the rest of the team," Shego said.

"The buffoon will believe anything."

"What about the computer kid? Wade?" Shego hadn't planned to think over the matter this much. "Won't he figure something out?"

For a long time Drakken said nothing. "Dang! I forgot about that."

Of course he had.

"Well, Shego, we'll just have to do something about that."

She stared up at him. "Oh? And exactly what do you propose?"

More silence.

She sighed. "I thought so. At least let me fix my hair first."

Never again would Kim mock the abilities of a janitor. Or a locksmith. Thank goodness she always kept a hairpin. She finally collapsed into the hallway, covered in spilt cleaner and a mop at her side.

A synthodrone, she thought. This was beyond real. And it had Ron believing it was her. And it had led Ron into believing that… she liked him.

She stood up, suddenly transfixed at the idea. Why had that happened?

Ron had been acting so weird ever since Erik had entered their lives… jealous. If she had paused for just one moment to consider it, she would have realized… no, Ron certainly did not feel that way about her. He just wanted their friendship, and Erik had been in the way of that. Pity that Erik had turned out to be so awful. A synthodrone.

She really was not liking synthodrones.

But her synthodrone wouldn't have initiated something like that. Would it? So it must have been Ron…

Did that mean that Ron… liked her that way? After so many years of friendship, everything her mom had been hinting was true? He liked her that way? Even after that moodulator incident in which, if her memory served her correctly, he had flat-out refused to play along as her boyfriend even as she was throwing herself at him? That couldn't be right.

The mop rolled at her feet, snatching her back to reality. Here she was, filthy, tired, confused… and thinking about boys. How pathetic and so-not-cool was this?

"Focus, Kim," she announced so loud her voice echoed through the hall. "Focus on the now!"

She'd worry about Ron later. Right now, she just had to get him away from that synthodrone.

And first off… Wade. He could scan the school. He had to have some way of searching for robots. She marched to her locker and flung it open. A few taps of the computer and she had Wade.

And he was looking more confused than she felt.

"You're back," he said slowly. "And you… changed into some costume. Hang on a moment…"

A green ray shot from the computer and scanned over Kim.

"Wade, I really need to talk to you, so what was that for?"

The confusion had grown. "Kim. It is you."

"Of course it's me…" Oh. "Wade, you've heard about the synthodrone of me?"

He opened his mouth to answer.

"Because I've had a very rotten past few hours. I was captured last night and woke up in this fake suit that you certainly did not make for me and Ron was gone and I finally escape to locate Ron and have him do nothing but kiss me and then I find this crazy copy of me that can fight so much better than I can and—" It didn't take long for breathlessness to take her. Finally, someone sane to talk to. "Sorry. You were saying something that I probably could understand?"

"Ron kissed you?" Wade repeated, stunned. "Ron kissed you? Again? You exchanged saliva?" He shuddered. "That's disgusting!"

"Grow up and focus," she hissed.

"But you're the real Kim," he continued, shock giving way to excitement. "I know, I just scanned you, and you are 100 biological."

"Of course I am." She felt like crying for joy. "Thank-you, thank-you, Wade, for having some idea of what is going on! The synthodrone must have asked you to make scans already, and you thought that was me."

"Guilty," he replied. "Except… she didn't ask me to make scans. I volunteered to do that and she freaked. I guess something was up." He shook his head. "This is supposed to be a relaxing Saturday, Kim."

"Tell me about it," she muttered. "And I missed my own prom." Had Ron and the synthodrone… gone? But it wasn't time to think about that. "We need to save Ron from that thing; I have no idea what it could be up to."

"Got it. I guess I can try the kimmunicator, but I don't think she'll answer."

"'It', Wade. That thing is not a she."

"But Drakken must have done a really good job if Ron thought it was you…" He shuddered again. "Ron kissed you?"

She sighed. "Wade."

"Sorry! That's just really wrong. And…" he frowned. "I'm getting an incoming message."

Not a mission, she prayed. Not right now.

"It's from…" Wade frowned. "Shego."