A/N – Back to Ron's point of view. I'm not exactly sure where I should take this story, but it looks like it'll be going into a "dark" fanfic. Anyway, like I said I want this to stick to reality a lot, so Shego's fiery hands will definitely have more power than w/e a normal human can do. Cops will also fire at the villains since Disney isn't here to make crime look so glorious.

Homecoming is coming up in a few weeks, and I still don't have a date. 'That's cuz you're a loser,' a voice in my head told me. These past few weeks have been better for me. Ever since I struck that deal with Shego and Drakken I felt liberated in a way. I'd go there at least twice every week and help them with their exploits. I also made sure they kept a low profile so Kim wouldn't get on their tail. They aren't bad people, really…just different, like me. I'm guessing if things had been different, I would have turned to the dark side a long time ago.

"Out of the way, FREAK," an arrogant voice said as she pushed by me. It was none other than charming ol' Bonnie. She was obnoxious, yes, but she could never hurt me like she could. I didn't even reply because I believed it to be true. I sighed. I really wish I wasn't born like this.

I've been doing quite well physically, and my grades are actually sloping upwards. For some odd reason, I've been more motivated these past few weeks; it's as if I want to be smarter and stronger. I've buffed up a little from lifting, and I don't get laughed at nearly as often anymore. Nothing can stop my own self-doubts though. No matter how hard I try, I can't get her out of my head. Every time I see her talking, flirting, or even interacting with Josh makes my stomach feel queasy. Despite her lack of loyalty and shallowness, I still can't let it go. I've known her for so long, and I subconsciously still like more than a friend, despite hating her as a person consciously. Today was one of my off days, where I just went straight home or to Drakken's lair after school. He and Shego even bought me a car to seal the deal. It was hard to explain it to my parents, but they bought my lie eventually. Well, half lie. I told them I had an after school job that has been paying me quite nicely and that this car was company owned. Not a very good story, I know, but they bought it. Actually, now that I think about it I'm not sure they did. I think they just let it go because they love me and seem really worried. I haven't smiled lately and I've become so apathetic and lifeless lately. As I walked out of the school building alone on this mild autumn day, I decided it was time I paid Drakken a visit.

"Ron Stoppable, how nice to see you," Shego said sarcastically. I'm pretty sure she could kill me, so I've stayed on her good side as much as possible.

"Hi Shego," I said with as much reverence as possible. Possible.

"Ah, it's a good thing you showed up Stoppable," came a familiar voice, Drakken. "Tonight we're going to steal a new prototype machine. Quite a lovely thing. It's a molecular separator, capable of turning inorganic (by inorganic I mean not living in the biological sense, not lacking Carbon) liquids into gas without heating in a pressurized container. Of course, the molecular separator is only pocket sized so we can go in stealthily."

"Right," I said. I've gone on missions with these two before, and I've found them to be quite good at what they do. We chose Friday because she would be out with Monkey tonight. Despite all the pleas of Wade, Kim refused to leave her Kimmunicator today. Wade told me that Kim claimed that she needed a life, and that she refused to go out tonight. Thus, it worked perfectly for us.

Things went pretty smoothly until I spotted a few police officers at the lab. Apparently Wade had contacted the cops when he couldn't get a hold of me and we found ourselves surrounded. Luckily, the lights were all off and no one knew we were in. We slipped by the unsuspecting cops, knocking them out along the way and found the pocket sized prototype. Shego, being by far the fastest and most coordinated of us, swiped it as quickly as she could, knowing than an alarm would be set off. We set off running and were almost home free as we broke out of the front door. Unfortunately, three cops hid in the background and stood up as we passed. Shego and Drakken were both oblivious to the action, and I saw all three of them aim for Drakken, as if they were all reluctant to shoot a female. BOOM. Three bullets were headed towards Drakken. Before I knew what I was doing, I dived at Drakken and tackled him, feeling a searing pain in my side.

"SHIT," I heard one of the cops yell. Shego had recovered her sense and tossed a smoke pellet at the cops. Handy things they are. Drakken really was a genius. Still stunned, I felt myself lifted up and dragged into our vehicle as we sped back to Drakken's Lair. I lost consciousness.

I woke up to see both Shego and Drakken staring at me inquisitively.

"Ugh, I said," feeling my woozy head. "How long have I been out?"

"A few hours, Stoppable," came Drakken's voice.

"Why?" Shego asked.

"Why what?" I knew perfectly well what she was asking.

"Why did you risk your life to save Drakken?" I didn't know why I did that at the time, but suddenly a plausible reason came to my mind.

"Answer me something first, both of you," I said quietly, startling both of them. I usually never made direct commanding statements, but I realized I had their attention.

"When did you turn evil?" The question seemed to catch both of them off guard. Before Shego could open her mouth, Drakken answered.

"Shego and I, we…we both turned 'evil' at around…your age." Everything started to slide into place for me right there and then.

"I see," I said. I felt like my mind was getting sharper these past few weeks, as if I was going through a maturation process. "No one's born evil," I said. "Not even you two. You were both turned to evil and I'm pretty sure I know why now." They both stared at me.

"You turned evil because you hated this world. You hated the inequality and injustice of it all. Not the legal kind, but the genetic kind. You hated how some people were born pretty and rich and gifted and you weren't. You were picked on a lot, weren't you?"

If I had asked this two weeks ago, Shego would have killed me and Drakken would have probably laughed as she did. Now, though, in the current situation they seemed willing to answer.

"For once, you're right, Stoppable," Drakken said quietly. "Do you know what it's like to go to school every day and feel afraid? Do you know what it's like to be picked on for your looks, to be laughed at for your clothes? Do you know what it feels like to…to never feel loved or even liked by anyone your age? It breaks people, Stoppable." I didn't expect this emotional outpour, and by Shego's quietness I could tell she agreed.

"I know," I said, "and that's why I saved you. I know what you feel, and…that's why I saved you. We have to stick together, more collusively than who are self-righteous because they were born with blessings we'll probably never have."

"What do you mean, Stoppable?" Shego asked bitterly.

"I know why you hate Kim, Shego. You're jealous. You're jealous of the fact that she's beautiful and that she's having the childhood that you've never had. You're jealous of the fact that she appears so angelic to everyone when deep down you know that, if you two had switched environments, you'd be just as successful. You both hate the world because of people like her, people who make you feel like freaks and losers."

Shego's eyes turned fiery. Maybe I pushed it too far, I thought, but it didn't matter that much to me anymore. Bitterness had ruled my life ever since that day and I guess death couldn't be that bad. Drakken was about to tell Shego to stop but before he could I uttered the words that halted both of them.

"And that makes us family."