Author's Note: Apologies for taking so long to update. I hope it was worth it. Write a review, get a response. And thanks to all those for reviewing already.

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"Ron, I need you to focus." Kim's voice was steady. She looked her boyfriend square in the eye even as he remained seated on her couch in her family's living room while she remained standing over him.

"Ok." Ron replied simply.

"Zorpox."

"Blue skinned guy with the bad laugh."

"The Annihilation Wave."

"Never heard of it."

"What does it have to do with Mt. Scarem erupting?"

"Couldn't tell you." Ron replied honestly.

"Ron!" Kim threw up her hands in surrender. After four tries of this, it was getting old fast.

"KP, I don't know what to say. I have never heard of an Annihilation Wave, and I have no idea what it is, what it does, or where it is." Ron reiterated.

The chime of the Kimmunicator cut off Kim before she could begin again.

"Go Wade." She spoke into the small blue device in her hand.

"Kim, we've got problems off the coast of Italy, and I think they might be related to Ron's old Zorpox alter ego." The image of Wade Load came through clearly on the screen.

"Let me guess, you got the tape with the instructions?"

"Play by October 7th, twelve forty three." Wade replied with a knowing grin.

"Wade, the tsunami. What can we do to help?" Kim asked urgently.

"Actually, it doesn't look like there's anything you need to do at the moment. The coastal region where the tsunami is supposed to be hit is pretty sparsely populated. There's only a few small villages in the region and it looks like the authorities have the evacuations under control. By the time the wave hits, there shouldn't be anyone left in the affected area. I think we dodged a bullet on this one, Kim." Wade's voice was one of cautious optimism.

"No way. Zorpox just aimed a little too far to the left this time. Any idea how this eruption was triggered?"

"None yet. I've already got in touch with two separate geological professors studying the eruption. I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything useful. Meanwhile, we already got a hit from Global Justice."

"You don't mean…" Kim began.

"Oh no way." Ron let out a frustrated cry.

"Yep. I think they got the tape too." Wade explained uneasily.

"Zorpox really wanted to advertise didn't he?" Kim mused aloud. "Wade, our ride?"

"All set. You should be at GJ headquarter in less then ten minutes."

"You rock Wade. Call me back."

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"Kim Possible. Ron Stoppable. Welcome back to Global Justice headquarters." Dr. Director issued proudly as her two best freelance agents stepped out of the elevator in mission gear down to the lower command room. Behind the director, Kim and Ron could make out close to half a dozen large screens relaying the same set of images, as dozens of agents worked furiously, analyzing, organizing and interpreting their data. Most of them seemed to have various news coverage and images of Mt. Scarem's eruption, while one screen far off seemed to replay Zorpox's messages on a continuous loop. Ron and Kim both paused for a second longer as they looked at this last screen, and though Kim didn't notice at the time, it caused Ron to drop his head down in shame.

"Pleasure as always." Ron greeted less than enthusiastically as he recomposed himself slightly.

"Dr. Director, the evacuations…" Kim began.

"Already ninety five percent complete. By the time that wave hits, there shouldn't even be a stray dog to get wet." Dr. Director's voice was proud, before turning back to the pair, her eye settling on Ron's timid visage. "Ron Stoppable, regarding the Annihilation Wave…"

"I don't know." Ron replied simply.

"I beg your pardon."

"I don't know." Ron insisted desperately. "Whatever it is, I don't know. I don't know where it is, I don't know what it is, and I don't know what it does…"

"Likely, some kind of weapon designed to trigger volcanic eruptions." The authoritative and confident voice of agent Will Du came from the side as the agent walked formally up to the duo. "Given Zorpox's pattern and his previous accomplishments, the Annihilator which was designed to trigger seismic tremors capable of ripping the planet apart, and the Mega Weather Generator, it seems likely that this device is also designed to artificially induce a natural disaster, in this case, volcanic eruptions."

"Can someone remind me again why he gets paid more than we do?" Ron asked.

"With all due respect Agent Du, that may be leaping to conclusions." Dr. Director reminded. "And evening assuming that you're correct, that still doesn't help us much without knowing what mechanism the Wave uses to trigger the eruptions in the first place. We need more intel."

"I've already told you, I don't remember!" Ron was getting really tired of people talking around him like he wasn't even there.

"Could Ron's lack of memory be some kind of side effect of the Attitudinator?" Kim joined in the conversation.

"Unlikely. Our studies of the device have shown no such function or side effects to accompany the device's use. More likely, Zorpox made himself, and Stoppable for that matter, forget."

"Huh." Kim was taken aback.

"Say what?" Ron followed suit.

"No one can resist torture indefinitely, which is why Global Justice trains some of its most accomplished agents," Will Du in no way immodestly explained as he placed a hand over his own chest "to suppress their own memories in case they are ever captured. This is most easily accomplished by the person filling their own minds with deliberately confusing or false information until the person can no longer distinguish the truth from the fake memories."

"So then, if Ron filled his head with bogus info, then his memories could still be inside his mind somewhere?" Kim asked, her optimism growing.

"Yes, and if so, then his real memories can be retrieved using therapeutic techniques. Most especially, the use of hypnosis."

"Oh no. Oh no no no." Ron insisted loudly. "No way is anyone going to make me fall in to a deep sleep as they count backwards from ten. I've seen those hypnotists at the airport. Thank you but no thanks, we'll keep in touch. Come on KP." Ron explained hurriedly as he grabbed Kim by the arm, heading for the elevator.

"Ron!" Kim pulled back on Ron's arm, holding him in place.

"Stoppable," Dr. Director interjected "we can't force you to do this. Even if we wanted to, hypnosis only works on willing subjects, so if you don't want to do this, we can't make you." Dr. Director re-gathered her voice, maintaining an almost maternal mix of confidence and authority with warmth. "But the truth is, we believe Zorpox's threat to be very genuine, and our people in the field have still made no real progress figuring out how he triggered the eruption in Mt. Scarem. If Zorpox's warning is on the level, then we're on the clock here, and if there is any way of finding this Annihilation Wave and disabling it, the chances are that it rests with you. We need your help."

Ron sighed as looked up at the screens in the background. The continual loop of his alter ego ranting and laughing sent goose bumps across his skin. For the first time since this had begun, as Kim looked at his face from the side, she saw something that she hadn't really appreciated until this moment.

Fear.

"Ok." Ron replied finally. "What do I have to do?"

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"Stoppable," Dr. Director lead Ron and Kim into a dimly lit room, decorated with a large collection of thick volumes, a large impressive desk and a laying couch off to the side with another large chair slightly behind it with an older man sitting down in it. "This is Dr. Heinzrich. He is the head of the psychology department within Global Justice."

"Uh, hi. How are you doing?" Ron greeted the older man in full suit uneasily.

"Please sit down, Mr. Stoppable. We must begin at once." The doctor's voice was somewhat strict, and reminded Ron almost of Mr. Barkin in its tone, if not sheer forcefulness. It poorly covered a thick German accent, and did less then nothing to ease Ron's mind. "I must ask that everyone else please leave us. We must have absolute silence and quiet."

"KP?" Ron looked uneasily at her.

"No exceptions! There must be silence!" The doctor reiterated rather loudly.

"Dude, isn't it kinda ironic to shout when you want silence?" Ron asked.

"NO!" The doctor shouted. "Now sit down. And everyone else, get out!"

"I'll be back to check on you." Kim assured Ron as she planted a light kiss on his lips before hurrying out along with Dr. Director.

"Are you sure about that guy?" Kim asked as the door closed on its own behind them.

"Dr. Heinzrich may seem a little… over passionate about his work…" Dr. Director admitted rather uneasily, "but he is one of the best experts in his field in the world. Trust me. If anyone can help Stoppable, he can."

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"Quack. Quack. Quack. Quack." Ron went on and on as he continued pacing back and forth in the office, his hands at his side in imitation of duck wings as he 'flapped' them back and forth.

Dr. Heinzrich slapped his palm against his face as Kim walked in on the two.

"What did you do to him?" Kim asked, almost horrified.

"I haven't done anything to him." The doctor replied tensely through his own palm.

"Quack, quac… oh hey Kim!" Ron straightened up excitedly. "I've been practicing for my audition for the school play, the Last Duckling. What do you think?"

Kim let out a sigh.

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"You are getting sleepy." Dr. Heinzrich instructed in a low voice as he continued to wave his pendulum before Ron's eyes. As Ron's pupils chased the pendulum back and forth, he let out a wide yawn.

"Yes, that's it. Your eyes are feeling very heavy, you are…"

"ZZZzzzzzzzzzz." Ron snored loudly as he quickly fell back into the couch.

"Mr. Stoppable? Can you hear me?"

A loud snore was the doctor's only reply.

"WAKE UP!"

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"Now Ron, you are a in a deep sleep." The doctor announced. On the couch, laid back before him, Ron Stoppable was indeed within the grip of a deep hypnotic trance. "Mr. Stoppable, what is the greatest threat to the world right now?"

"Monkeys." Ron replied through the effects of the trance.

Dr. Heinzrich slapped his palm against his face in frustration. 'Not again.'

"Besides monkeys, Mr. Stoppable. We have been over this and over this. I'll grant you that monkeys are a threat. There, you're happy now?"

"I'm happy now." Ron repeated as a smile seemed to work its way of its own accord over Ron's face.

"No, that's not what I meant. Stoppable, what is the greatest threat to the world at this moment… BESIDES MONKEYS?"

"Barkin." Ron replied absently.

Dr. Heinzrich let out another sigh as he sat back in his chair. "Besides monkeys and your school principle. What is an even greater threat to the world?"

"The O Boyz?"

"Worse than that." Dr. Heinzrich's face burned a deep red.

"Bonnie?"

"Worse than that."

"The sun going super nova?"

"Less than that. Between the sun going super nova and monkeys, your school principle, boy bands and this Bonnie."

Ron seemed to unconsciously contemplate this puzzle before replying. "Meat cakes?"

"NO! Zorpox! Zorpox is a threat to the world."

"Chicken pox is a threat to the world." Ron repeated mindlessly.

"NO! Not…. Grrr." Dr. Heinzrich bit down on his lip before instructing "On the count of three, I will snap my fingers and you will awaken. One, two, three!"

As the doctor's fingers snapped in Ron's ears, his eyes opened as he looked around.

"So, how is it going in here Dr. Heinzrich?" Dr. Director asked as she walked in to the room.

"This is impossible! He is completely unresponsive to my techniques!"

"What's the problem?" Dr. Director raised her eyebrow in concern.

"Well the long of it is that his mind is too simplistic and unaccustomed to introspective thinking. He is unused to any form of self analysis and so is unable to have it forced upon him."

Ron tried to determine the meaning of the doctor's words for a moment, before finally translating them through his tone.

"Hey, are you saying I'm too stupid for hypnosis to work?" Ron asked angrily.

"That is the short of it." Dr. Heinzrich explained rather gruffly.

"Hey!" Rufus chided from Ron's pocket.

"Doctor, you're on a timetable. I'd suggest you complain less about Stoppable and figure out another method of learning what we need to know." With that, Dr. Director simply turned about and left, leaving Dr. Heinzrich to stare begrudgingly at his patient.

"Hey, we're hungry. Can we break for lunch?" Ron asked.

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"It's just that this isn't as easy for me as some people might think." The figure on the couch explained rather solemnly even as he bit into his Mexican delicacy in hand. "I'm always under a lot of pressure."

"Mmhmm. Go on." Within the chair, he continued writing notes on his pad of paper.

"Everyone always expects me to help them with their problems, but does anyone ever ask what I would like? If I need help?" Dr. Heinzrich asked as he bit into his taco again.

"Ok, I want you to open up here. Don't be afraid to let out now." Ron explained as he bit into his naco. He was glad they had been able to get an agent to go for take out. This was going to be a tough one.

On the top of the laid back couch, Rufus sat with his own pad taking notes. "Let it all out." The naked mole rat encouraged.

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"I feel stunning." Dr. Heinzrich sang from atop his desk.

"You feel stunning." Ron accompanied, next to him, their arms over each other's shoulders.

"And entrancing."

"And entrancing."

The two parts joined. "Feel like running and dancing for joy, for I'm loved, by a pretty, wonderful boy!" The two let out a large chorus that filled the entire room.

"What is going on in here!" Twin voices of authority demanded loudly as they walked in.

"Breakthrough KP!" Ron exclaimed proudly.

"Oh Mr. Stoppable, I cannot thank you enough." Dr. Heinzrich gushed as he took Ron's handing, shaking it vigorously. "I have spent so much of my life dedicated to studies; I have neglected my inner child."

"Just happy I could help dude."

At this, Dr. Heinzrich stepped down from atop his desk, turning formally to Dr. Director. "Dr. Director, I must officially announce my retirement, which I think you will find I am well entitled to do given my age. You may send my last pay check as well as my pension to my address in the Bahamas."

"Remember dude, you have a pretty girl inside you!" Ron reminded as Dr. Heinzrich headed for the door.

"You're right! Oh I feel pretty." The doctor began singing again. "Oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and gay!"

The door silenced the senior psychologist as it shut behind him, leaving Kim Possible and Dr. Director to turn angrily back at Ron.

"What?"

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"I see monkeys."

The junior head of the Global Justice department sighed as he held up another flash card. "And this?"

"Nacos."

"And this?" Another card.

"Monkeys stealing my naco! NO!" Ron leapt forward, grabbing the picture and holding it over his head as he fell on his knees to the ground. "Oh you maniacs! You ate it all. Darn you, darn you all to heck!"

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Kim Possible walked into the physical observation room, next to the junior head of the psychology department. Through the one way mirror, she and the doctor watched as Ron ran for his life on a treadmill turned all the way up to the maximum setting, all while monitors recorded his pulse rate, blood pressure, and the like.

"Uhh, excuse me. What's the point of this?" She asked uneasily, noting the exasperated look on Ron's face.

"No point." The doctor explained without even looking over at her. "I just wanted to wear him out before I have to go through another session."

"You can turn it down now!" Ron exclaimed from within the room. "I'm getting tired."

"There's got to be a way to turn this thing up more." The doctor mused aloud.

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"Stupid … gasp… no good….gasp… PHD. Gasp. Must stand… for Physically Harmfully Deranged Maniacs." Ron struggled to collect his breath as he leaned in on Kim's shoulder as she led him back into the therapy room.

"Ron, that would be PHDM." She explained as he helped him down onto the couch.

"I just ran a marathon… gasp… in ten minutes. Give me…gasp… a break." Ron continued his labored breathing.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Kim asked as she sat down in the large chair to the side of the couch.

"At the moment?" Ron asked as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. "I'm trying to sort up from down, and keep track of how many of you there are. If you'd all stop spinning, I could keep count better."

Kim had held her frustration in check up until this point, but she felt she had been more than exemplary in her understanding and decided enough was enough. Reaching out with her fore finger and thumb, she grabbed the end of Ron's ear and pinched it sharply, prompting a cry of pain from Ron as she brought him up off the couch and bringing him to stand up right.

"Ron, I am not one of the doctors here. You are playing games and messing around while there is a serious world crisis going on. And you always do this!" With that she released her hold on his ear, walking off to the side in frustration.

"I'm the one who…" but Ron was cut off.

"You always pretend that you're too stupid or too clumsy and I know you better than that Ron. I know this situation is a lot to deal with, and I'm here for you if you need me, but you're not even trying. You're just hiding."

Kim words shot down every response that Ron might try to craft to escape this situation. She had him trapped, and he knew that she was right.

"I know they're asking a lot of you Ron, but I also know that you can do this, if you just tried. Instead, you screw around and pretend that you can't do this, but you can Ron."

Ron let out a sigh in shame and defeat as he sat back down on the couch.

"That's easy for you to say KP. You're not the one with the dark side that's got the whole world hostage right now."

The look on Ron's face caused a wave of righteous shame to wash over Kim as she moved to sit down next to him, placing her hands on his shoulder.

"Ron…"

"I mean, I could handle mind control, or even some alternate me with a goatee from another dimension, but this isn't any of that. This is me. That is me out there, flooding villages with that stupid laugh."

"Ron, you're not Zorpox."

"Uhh, I don't know if you missed the physical similarities Kim, but I can tell you that we weren't separated at birth or anything. The Attitudinator just took what I already had and brought it up to the surface for everyone to see… especially you." Ron sunk even lower at this last point.

Kim paused as she carefully selected her words, sensing the man in front of her slipping away from his grasp.

"Ron, listen to me, ok." As she spoke, she pulled his head up until they were sitting face to face. "I am your best friend and your girlfriend and I take both of those very seriously. I know you better than you know yourself, and the Ron Stoppable I know could never, and did never hurt anyone of his own free will. Zorpox may have been inside you, but you, Ron Stoppable, are the one every day that keeps him locked up in his box. The Attitudinator took the choice out of your hands and let him out, but without that, you're the one that keeps him put away. I've seen you risk your life time and time again for complete strangers… and for me." At this, Kim sat down atop Ron's lap, her wrapping all the way around his shoulders. "You're way too wonderful a person to ever do what Zorpox has done. And I promise you, we are going to get through this, get through him, together."

Kim's words seemed to chase most of the pain away from Ron's face as he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her. For a moment, neither of the two of them said or did anything as Ron clung tightly to Kim for strength. As much as her words meant to him, as much as she meant to him, there was still something…

"So, I guess this means I'm going back under the watch." Ron joked.

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"Can you hear me Ron?" Dr. Marshall, junior head of the psychology department, asked as he noted the slumber state that Ron had apparently lapsed into. This time, Dr. Director, Will Du and Kim were in the room to monitor the session.

"Yes." Ron replied.

"I need you to remember what happened the last time you were exposed to the Attitudinator." He instructed in a soft steady voice.

"I changed." Ron answered in his slumber.

"Yes. You were turned into a dangerous person."

"Zorpox." Ron answered.

Dr. Marshall nodded his head eagerly. "Yes, very good. You built a terrible weapon. Do you remember?"

"Yes."

"What did you build?"

"The Annihilator."

Dr. Marshall was slightly discouraged but maintained his composure. They were still on the right track. "You also built another device of destruction, did you not?"

"Yes."

"What was it called?" He asked eagerly.

"The Mega Weather Generator."

Dr. Marshall looked at his notes for a second. "Ron, did you build anything else?"

"No."

At this, the trio of observers looked at each other in confusion.

"Ron," Dr. Marshall paused. "Do you remember building a device called the Annihilation Wave?"

"No." Ron answered again.

Confusion endured.

"Why doesn't Ron remember?" Kim asked in a hushed whisper.

"Perhaps Zorpox removed his own memory using some other means?" Will Du speculated.

"Great, so all that for nothing." Kim let out a resigned sigh.

"Not necessarily. Ron may not remember, but he might be able to guess. If we can get him to think like Zorpox, he might be able reconstruct in his own mind what he would have done. At the very least, it could point us in the right direction."

"What?" Kim's mind homed in on the words 'think like Zorpox'. "There is no way…"

"Doctor, do it." Will Du ordered.

"Dr. Director!" Kim turned.

"Agent Du, this sort of thing should have been discussed before this procedure, not during it." Dr. Director disciplined.

"Ron, I need you to remember what you were like as Zorpox." Dr. Marshall instructed.

"No." Ron's head turned a bit as his eyes seemed to shutter.

"Ron, I need you to remember how Zorpox thought." The doctor went on.

"No." Ron twisted sharply again.

"Alright, this is over, right now." Kim's voice rose as she went over to doctor's side. "Wake him up now!"

"Agent Possible, you will restrain yourself." Will Du instructed.

"I need you to think like Zorpox." Dr. Marshall instructed, keeping his voice steady.

"No." Ron's voice was filled with unconscious terror as it seemed to shrivel back within itself.

"I agree with Miss Possible. End this now." Dr. Director ordered.

"I need to speak to Zorpox." Dr. Marshall insisted.

At this, Ron's eyes snapped open. Leaping up off the couch, he grabbed the doctor around the throat tightly as he forced the helpless hypnotist between himself and the trio of observers.

"Speaking." Zorpox announced.