Author's Note: I cannot say enough how much all the reviews and feedback that I have recieved for this story has meant to me, and how they've encouraged me to write and update this story as frequently as possible. Enjoy this latest chapter, and once again, write a review, get a response.

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Helplessness is not a pleasant sensation. The thought of being completely powerless to right a wrong or correct a situation that we know to be unfair or unjust is an absolutely demoralizing one in every sense of the word.

For Kim Possible, a young woman brought up to believe that she was capable of anything, someone who had never experienced this sensation before in her life, it was a hundred times worse.

It had been hours since Wade had last called. God only knew where Zorpox was or what he had been up to in all that time. She had paced back and forth tirelessly within the tree house that was once their private sanctuary from the world, Rufus keeping watch over her, a growing expression of concern on his tiny features, waiting for some news.

She had occupied her time since by getting Dr. Director to call Ron's parents, explaining that the young crime fighters were on a mission across the world. She hated having to lie to them, to lie to her own parents as well, but she had no other choice. What else could she do? Look the Stoppables in the eyes and tell them that she had taken their son, the one person in the world who meant more to her than anything, and used him as a lab rat before turning him into an evil, psychotic madman. She couldn't face that, she wouldn't. She would get Ron back… she just wasn't sure how quite yet.

The ring of the Kimmunicator caught Kim's attention instantly, as she brought to her face in the blink of an eye.

"GOWADE!" Kim shouted all at once. The results caught Wade by surprise.

"Kim, I found Zorpox!" Wade tried to maintain his composure in the face of Kim's desperation.

"Where?"

"You're not going to believe this one." Wade stated certainly.

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"Hurry up, get those nacos loaded up." Zorpox ordered, even as he kept a laser riffle trained on the nervous Beuno Nacho employees as they hurried to fill the largest 'To Go' order of their careers. The back of an entire truck, filled to the brim with nacos or the entire place would be blown to the skies. Ned could still hardly believe that this was happening. The fact that the man responsible for this absurd hostage situation was Beuno Nacho's most famous and accomplished customer did nothing to help his struggling mind grasp a hold of the idea.

"You call this service?" Zorpox shouted from the roof of the truck, waving his laser pistol menacingly as uniformed cooks and staff rushed bag full's and bag full's of Mexican delicacies out to be hastily piled atop each other. "I've half a mind to shove the slowest of you into the deep fryer! Maybe that will speed you up!"

"If you don't like the service, be sure to register a complaint with the management." Kim Possible called out as she stood across the lot, her face as determined and stone cold as ever.

"Kimberly Anne!" Zorpox exclaimed. "You're going to have to wait in line for your food; I'm in the middle of my order."

"Look, I'm really not in the mood for witty banter at the moment. You're coming with me Zorpox." Kim could feel her patience fading rapidly. She wanted nothing so much as to wipe that arrogant smirk off of Zorpox's face and replace it with Ron's warm smile.

"Oh Kim, you really should try to make the most of these special moments between us. After all, the banter is the best part of all of this…" Zorpox paused a moment to ponder his own words before adding "well, besides the violence. Speaking of which…"

Laser fire shot across the parking lot, even as Kim dodged, running straight for her prey. A spare shot singed her hair as she leapt into one of her cheer routines, landing palms first on the pavement before pushing herself up into the air, doing a perfect double flip and landing behind Zorpox on top of the roof of the giant truck.

Zorpox brought his weapon around just in time to have it kicked out of his hand by Kim. Not one to surrender easily, Zorpox lunged at Kim who clobbered him with a flying spin kick, knocking him back and spinning his head an unnatural hundred and eighty degrees around.

For a second, Kim was absolutely mortified, until the figure of Zorpox brought himself back up, resetting his head, turning it around back to face with Kim.

"Syntho drone." Kim observed bitterly.

The drone of Zorpox snarled as he charged towards Kim, but the super hero back flipped out of his grasp, coming down to grasp the laser riffle as she leveled it squarely in Zorpox's face.

"At least I get to get rid of that smirk." Kim declared as she fired, reducing the head of the syntho drone to a stump oozing and pulsing syntho goo that ran down even as the frame of the drone decompressed and collapsed onto itself.

Kim kicked the hallowed shell of the syntho drone off the roof of the truck angrily even as the ring of the Kimmunicator again caught her attention.

"Wade, it was all a divers…" Kim's voice froze in its tracks as she saw the image on the screen in front of her was not Wade's.

"Greetings Kimberly Anne. I interrupt your regularly scheduled crime fighting to bring you this threat. Sorry your normal operator couldn't be with you, I booted Wade off line for a little while. He was slowing down my music downloading." Zorpox explained sarcastically.

"Where are you Zorpox?" Kim wasted no time with pleasantries.

"Why Kimberly, I do believe that you miss me. I'm touched." Zorpox offered with a grin.

"You'll get over it."

"Well if you want to find me so bad, all you have to do is go home. I do believe your mom was planning on meat loaf for dinner tonight. You think if we ask nicely, your mother will set an extra place for me?"

Kim could feel her blood freeze and her heart pound as she shut off the Kimmunicator, her mind frantically trying to determine the quickest means of getting home.

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"Mom, mom, are you ok?" Kim called as she kicked the front door of the house in; never bothering to realize that it was unlocked.

"Of course dear, I'm in here making dinner." Kim could hear her mother's voice call out from within the kitchen. At first, Kim allowed herself to release a tremendous sigh of relief, until the next words out of her mother's mouth caused her lungs to retract that breath. "Ronald, could you please help me with the salad."

"Of course Mrs. P. Happy too." Ron exclaimed as he moved into Kim's view. Kim saw him wearing the same leather jacket, his hair slicked back much the same way it had been during his original 'bad boy' phase. To her surprise, his skin color seemed completely normal, though Kim thought she could make out just a hint of his original blue underneath. "Why there you are KP." He announced delightedly. "We were worried you were going to be late. Come here."

'Ron' moved out of the kitchen, his arms out stretched in preparation for an embrace, as he moved directly towards Kim. Kim merely batted away his hands in disgust.

"Don't you dare touch me." She whispered fiercely, anxious to make sure her mother was safely concealed away in the kitchen where she couldn't see or hear the two of them.

"Now, now." Zorpox chided. "We do have something of a 'captive' audience, let's put on a good show." He replied in the same whisper even as he indicated back to the kitchen.

"This is between you and me. Leave my mother out of this." Kim half threatened, half begged.

"Why Kimmie, your mother has just been absolutely charming. I would never dream of hurting her. Besides, we're all just one big, happy, loving family, sitting down to dinner." Zorpox reminded/instructed, his voice thick with implication.

"You are not invited." Kim replied through gritted teeth.

"And I wasn't planning on crashing, but you melted my 'take out' boy, and now I'm feeling like a good home cooked meal instead." Zorpox taunted with a grin.

"We're home." As if sensing the worst possible moment, Dr. James Possible announced himself and his son's arrival even as the young twins rushed out in front of him and up the stairs.

"Jim, Tim, I want you to set an extra place for Ron. He's going to be joining us for dinner." Mrs. Possible called out upstairs to her sons, receiving only a faint 'Yes, mom' for a response.

"Ah, Ronald." Mr. Dr. Possible walked up to the young man, placing his arm atop his shoulder. "Good to see you again. Glad you finally decided to get out of that silly costume I saw you in earlier."

"Gosh, thanks Mr. Dr. P." Zorpox smiled widely, eyeing Kim even as he wrapped his own arm around Kim's father as if the two were father and son themselves. "It sure feels like it's been a while, doesn't it Kim?"

"Not long enough." Kim replied curtly.

Kim's father paused at the awkward response, even as Zorpox eyed Kim with a look that carried a dark meaning.

"I mean, you never stay long enough." Kim tried her best to sound convincing as she wrapped her hands around Zorpox's arm, tightly enough to seemingly casually pull him off her father and off to the side even as Mr. Dr. Possible moved into the kitchen.

Kim slammed Zorpox into the side of a nearby wall, careful not to make such a thud as to attract attention.

"If you think for one second that I am going to play along with this sick game of yours…" Kim's threat was interrupted as Zorpox spoke again.

"Now look KP, there's two ways that this can go down. Either we all have a nice dinner together and everyone goes to bed happy, or you can scream your pretty little head off and explain to the folks all about the new me. It's your choice. Of course if you decide to go with the latter, there will probably be a bit of awkweirdness for a minute or two, followed most likely by some violence, stuff breaking… frankly no one wins there."

"Leave my family alone. They've done nothing to deserve this."

"Couldn't agree more." Zorpox concurred with a coy smile. "That's why I see no reason to spoil their evening with our petty differences."

"Kids, dinner is ready." Mrs. Possible announced aloud.

"Come on KP, dinner is ready." Zorpox motioned to the kitchen.

Kim bit down on her lip. Against her ever instinct, her every urge to cry out, she couldn't take the risk. Her grip on Zorpox gradually loosened, as she backed away from him warily.

"After you." She insisted.

"How kind." Zorpox merely smiled as he walked ahead of her. Kim waited until he was at least three feet in front of her before following him into the dinning area.

"Oh, Kimberly Anne Possible, what have I told you? No mission clothes to the dinner table, not when the whole family is together. Upstairs this instant." Kim's mother fussed.

"But mom…" Kim moved to argue.

"Relax KP; I'll keep a warm seat for you." Zorpox's performance turned Kim's stomach, but obviously sold his audience as Kim's family seemed to accept him without question or hesitation.

"But…" She tried to speak up.

"No 'buts' young lady. Upstairs. Now." Kim's mother had decided the matter and that was all there was to it. With a reluctant sigh, Kim turned about to leave, even as she felt a palm lightly slap her butt quietly but sharply.

"Hurry back." Zorpox smiled.

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Kim made it down the stairs and back to the kitchen in record time, having quickly changed into her trademark lime green tank top and blue pants. She entered, just in time to see Zorpox scooping up a handful of knives from a kitchen counter.

"Mom, dad. Look…!" Kim tried to call out, catching herself too late.

"What?" Kim's parents turned to look at their daughter even as Zorpox moved to set down one of the knives at each of the places around the table.

"What's the matter KP? You look like you've seen a ghost." Zorpox offered. "Why don't you take a seat? Get off your feet." At this, Zorpox moved to offer Kim a chair, inviting her to sit down right next to the spot where Ron usually sat.

"Why Ronald, that's so sweet. See James, I told you he was a perfect gentleman." Kim's mother observed.

Kim struggled vigorously to control her rage as she begrudgingly moved towards the seat that Zorpox had offered, hesitantly sitting down even as he helped her into position at the table. As Zorpox moved from where she sat over to his own seat, Kim had to force down the nauseas feeling in her stomach as she caught Zorpox taking in a deep sniff of her hair.

Satisfied that all was well, the family began sharing and dispensing the food, handing plates back and forth. As this happened, Kim caught Zorpox feeling at the pockets of his jacket.

"What are you doing now?" She leaned in, whispering.

"Well, it's kind of embarrassing and I wasn't going to say anything in front of the parents, but I can't seem to find that vile of rat poison that I brought."

Kim's terrified eyes traced Zorpox's across the table to Kim's father who was pouring her mother a glass of wine.

Kim practically leapt out of her seat as her hand flew across the table, swatting glass and bottle alike out of her mother and father's hands, drawing looks of righteous outrage from both parents.

"Kimberly Anne Possible! Just what do you think you are doing?" Kim's mother looked particularly upset as she whipped spare traces of wine from her face.

"Uhh, sorry." Kim replied uneasily. "It's just, whenever you and dad have wine after a long day, you both usually fall asleep right after dinner on the couch. I… I was kinda hoping we could stay up together for a family night."

Kim's father seemed less than satisfied with her daughter's explanation as he moved back to the kitchen. "Young lady, while I appreciate your concern for our well being, I think your mother and I are certainly capable of enjoying a bottle of wine together over dinner."

Kim simply smiled apologetically as she sat back down in her seat, her eyes burning back at Zorpox.

"You sick…"

"Oh wait." Zorpox whispered. "It's not in the wine."

Zorpox's eyes traced back to Kim's brothers as they poured soda into their glasses. Once again, Kim's anxious hands shot out, slapping twin cups away from her brothers, and onto the carpet.

"Kimberly Possible!" Her mother shouted.

"Hey!" The tweebs exclaimed angrily.

"No caffeine for you two. You'll be up all night rewiring the house hold appliances." Kim tried to explain to her brothers.

"Frankly Kimmie-cub, you should be a lot less worried about your brothers and a lot more about yourself. If you don't behave this instant, you can go to bed hungry."

"Sorry daddy." Kim forced out an apology as she sat back down in her chair.

"Now I remember." Zorpox leaned in to whisper into Kim's ear again. "I forgot the rat poison. Silly me."

Kim's look would have terrified most villains into pleading for their surrender as she eyed Zorpox venomously. "Are you done yet?"

"Me? I'm not the one making a scene here." Zorpox smiled as he turned to his food.

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Kim could not remember a more torturous meal in her entire life. Even the numerous times that her father's colleagues from work had been over paled in comparison to having to sit through Zorpox's constant leering at her, his hands ever so often sneaking under the table to rest on her leg or thigh.

Meanwhile, Zorpox, or rather 'Ron' had been at his absolute most charming. Even Kim's father had been delighted at his conversation as he recalled some of their more embarrassing moments in the field, which entertained Kim's younger brothers to no end.

"So Kim, when you were turned into a monkey…" Jim began.

"… did you ever get the idea to fight the super villains by flinging your…" Tim was about to finish.

"Tweebs!" Kim bit at her younger brothers.

"Oh KP, it's alright. At least it wasn't as bad as that time you took Home Ec. Class."

"Kim-can't-bake-a-cookie. Kim-can't-bake-a-cookie. Kim-can't-bake-a-cookie. Kim-can't-bake-a-cookie." The tweebs went on.

"Boys, that's enough." Mr. Dr. Possible moved to quiet his sons.

"I'm sorry, I've embarrassed you KP." Zorpox's coy smile never wavered as he placed his hand consolingly on Kim's lap.

"Oh, don't be embarrassed Kim. It takes a bit of practice before learning how to handle yourself in a kitchen. Sadly, brain surgery and cooking aren't exactly related skills." Kim's mother offered.

"Thanks mom. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it sooner or later." Kim tried to keep her smile as she felt Zorpox's hand move up her inner thigh, smoothly, slowly, gradually. Kim felt herself trembling as she took her cup to her lips, trying to drink in the cool liquid.

Suddenly, without warning, Zorpox's fingers moved straight up her thigh, right for…

Kim jumped, 'accidentally' splashing 'Ron' in his face.

"Oh, Ron. I'm so sorry." Kim struggled to restrain her glee, even as Zorpox threw his hands over his exposed face.

"Ronald, are you alright?" Kim's father rose upon noticing the way that Ron was clutching to his face.

"What?" Zorpox almost hissed at the paternal Possible.

"You're make up is running." Kim informed proudly as she whispered back to Zorpox.

"Ron, is there something on your face?" Mrs. Dr. Possible asked with concern as she rose from her seat, moving towards Ron's seat.

"I'm fine." Zorpox snapped back even as he rushed out, away from the table and towards the front door.

"Was there something on his face?" Mr. Dr. Possible asked his wife with concern.

"I'll go check on him." Kim insisted even as she anxiously rose from her seat to chase after 'Ron.'

Kim rushed out the front door and into the night, seeing Zorpox bent over, his hands smeared with his makeup as he turned angrily to Kim.

"Very cute." He hissed.

"I try." Kim replied proudly as she eyed her enemy.

"Care for a good night kiss?" Zorpox offered finally as he tried to shake off the wet peach colored run off on his hands.

"You don't think I'm just going to let you call this a night, do you?" Kim asked.

"You might want to check your room first before deciding to throw down with me."

At this, Kim took a moment to gaze in horror as she turned, abandoning her guard on Zorpox as she rushed back inside, and straight up to her room.

She entered in through her loft to find nothing disturbed, the room seemingly untouched. Yet something seemed out of place, amiss. It took Kim a moment to pick out what was missing.

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"He kidnapped your Pandaroo?" Wade asked slowly, convinced that he had misheard Kim, or that his signal was still receiving interference, in spite of what had been hours of effort on his part.

"Yeah." Kim replied dryly.

"Let me get this straight. Zorpox dresses up like Ron, get's himself invited to your house for dinner, and then, rather than so much as scratch your family, takes your stuffed bear hostage?"

"Yes Wade." Kim was obviously annoyed at having been reminded of the events of the last hour or so.

"I don't get it. If he was going to take a hostage, why not grab one of your family?"

"Oh that would have been too impersonal." Kim's voice was cold enough to freeze an entire ocean. "I mean yeah, if Shego had come to dinner, she would have taken my brothers hostage. Heck, even Drakken's gone after my dad. Zorpox wanted to show that he knew how to get to me in all the ways that none of my other villains ever could. Besides, it's not like he needs any other hostages, he already has Ron."

Wade was silenced by the implications of Kim's words. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"What else am I going to do? Get it, and Ron, back. Zorpox's invited me to a show down, and I intend to be there."

"Wait, where?" Wade found himself confused again. "How do you know where Ron is?"

"Easy." Kim took in a deep breath as she readied her words. "There's only one place he would set up as an ambush. Camp Wannaweep."