A\N Hi! UPDATE! Sorry for a slight delay people. Got myself very busy lately. Also, thank you all for reading, fav/fol my stories. I feel really happy every time somebody follows this story or adds to favorite Private Paradise. And all the people that following it already, once again: YOU ARE AWESOME!))) And as always…

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Disclaimer: I don't own Kim Possible.

Chapter 8

Thoughts in the dark

Wade slowly opened his eyes as light from the monitor shined at his face. Empty packs of snacks surrounded him, covering light cans of soda. Boy slowly straightened his back and pushed couple key on keyboard.

"Research log entry…" Wade yawned, his eyes were a bit swollen from the lack of sleep. "Day 21 6:47 a.m.. Virtual model 56-beta didn't pass all planned tests. However it showed some promise in schemata of battery and power chain of time machine. This part of the model 56-beta will be integrated into the next model. So far virtual reconstruction of time travel device version 1is finished approximately on 28,513%."

Wade finished the entry and saved it to several external hard drives. Enlarged and enhanced image of the signature, founded on one of the pieces of broken time-travel device were pinned on the wall nearby. It was letter 'W' with lightning-like orbit drawn around it. It was the same as the one Wade inserted inside any piece of technology he created, it was his sign, his signature.

'How future Me build this thing? And why?' Wade looked at the picture. 'I have some raw hypotheses on time travel, but none of them goes beyond basic sci-fi stuff in term of practical use… '

Sound of his stomach rumbling echoed though the room. Wade sighed, slowly stood from his chair and walked toward the kitchen. He caught himself in one heck of the puzzle, created by his future self. Not only there was a technology from future he needed to understand, but it was broken, incomplete. Reconstructing it from the pieces Shena gave to him appeared to be a tough challenge, but it wasn't an excuse to give up. No one beside himself could understand this technology. After all it was created by Wade from four years to the future.

"One bowl of cereal and back to work." he said to himself, already thinking about new improvements for virtual model number 57.

Meanwhile, three teens walked together down the streets of Middleton.

"Seriously Ron! Is it necessary to go SO early?" Kim whined.

"KP! It's Smarty Mart's Great Discount day! Prices will hit the floor!" Ron said with glee. "You just can't miss it!"

"Oh yeah, woo-hoo. Best sunday morning ever." Shena said with a clear sarcastic tone.

"I know!" Ron just shined from the excitement and marched faster toward one of his favorite places on Earth.

"Sorry about that…" Kim said to her female friend.

"Quoting you: No big." Shena smiled. "It's not like i had any plans for today anyway. What is that Smarty Mart anyway, never been there."

"Basically it's a giant shop that has everything and cheap."

"Everything? Really?" Shena raised a brow.

"Everything." Kim sighed.

"Well, everything and by a discount price…Sounds awesome. They have T-shirts there, right?"

"Yeah they do, but you don't want them."

"Why?"

"Well…"

"Because they don't have a fancy label on them." Ron barged into the conversation. "Kim is a total retail snob."

"So not!" Kim shouted at him.

"So yeah!" Ron shouted back.

"Retail snob?" Shena snickered. "For real."

"Well…" Kim looked to the side. "…i do prefer clothes from known brand, but it doesn't make me a snob!"

"Gonna side with Kimmie here." Shena said. "Retail stuff usually have better quality."

"See!" Kim smiled smugly.

"Smarty Mart chain and most of the brand names in this town have the same owner. Quality of clothes is identical, only difference is label patch on the side and overpriced tag."

"Oh… Point Ron!" Shena said.

"See!" Ron smirked, looking at Kim.

"Argh! Whatever!" Kim gave up.

"Here it is!" Ron exclaimed happily and ran towards the entrance. "Smarty Mar-"

He smacked himself to the glass doors and fell on a cold concrete.

"What the…?" Ron petted his nose.

"Oh great, it closed." Shena rolled her eyes. "I thought you guys know an opening time for that place."

"But it never closes!" Ron stood straight and started to fiercely look through the glass doors. "Smarty Mart is open 24 hours a day."

"It is strange." Kim agreed. "Usually one of the staff greets people at the entrance, but i don't see anyone inside."

"So, you're telling me…?" a small smile appeared on Shena's face.

"It's mission time." Kim pulled out kimmunicator. "Hey Wade…Wade?"

"What happened?" Ron turned around and liked at the screen. "Uhm…Kim…Don't you have like ehm…"

"Deja vu? Yeah, totally."

"What are you talking about?" Shena was confused.

"Shena do you have a communicator right now?" Kim asked her.

"Well yeah." she pulled out the device from a small black purse.

"Try to contact Wade."

"Ok, ok. Hm…stange. It only shows static. Is it broke?"

"Jammed communicator..." Kim looked annoyed.

"Smarty mart…" Ron looked irritated.

"Frugal Lucre!" they both said in sync.

"Fruga what-now?" Shena asked in confusion.

"One low-list villain. Ex-worker of Smarty Mart. He was going to destroy internet with a canned vienna sausages, and do it as cheap as possible." Kim explained. "He either inside or in his mother's house basement."

"Probably inside." Shena pointed at the building. "I mean it's locked like a fortress or something."

"Yeah, i think you right, but how are we going to…"

"KP! Shena! Right here!" Ron waved to them from the corner. "There's a back door here!"

Kim went to the metal door and tried to open it, it didn't budge.

"It's locked too."

"Let me look at it." Snena looked through the keyhole, and pulled out couple small hairpins from her purse. "Give me a minute."

"Wh-what are you doing?" Kim was baffled by her actions.

"Well…" she answered while working on the lock. "Either we loudly break through main entrance by shattering the front door, or quietly walk inside, without alerting the villain."

"Fine." Kim gave up.

"You can pick up locks?" Ron was really impressed by that. "That is awesome!"

"Hah. Just a skill i picked up in case of..." she stopped herself from saying it and a quiet click came from the keyhole. "Never mind, it's done!"

Shena opened the door and trio walked in the building. Smarty Mart was dark, no lights at all, and really quiet.

"Well, that's not creepy at all." Shena lit her palms with glow in order to light the path for them.

"I wish i had my gear with me." Kim said.

"Maybe we find some here." Ron said. "Flashlights for example, it's in aisle 12."

"And we are…" Shena looked at the nearest plate with a number. "Aisle 14, hey we are near."

"Follow me!"

Ron led the way, stepping into the darkness without a fear, mostly because he knew every inch of this place like a back of his hand. They quickly arrived to an aisle 12.

"Here it is." Ron picked up a flashlight and turned it on. "Battery included."

"Nice!" Shena made a glow disappear and picked up a flashlight for herself, as well as Kim did. "So, what's our plan now?"

"Let's split up." Kim turned her flashlight on. "I'll check the staff room, you and Ron check the main control room. I bet Ron know where it is."

"Yep!" he nodded.

"Alright. Let's do it!"

Kim went through the dark corridors, with a small feeling of unease in her chest. Grouping Shena and Ron was a good idea, no doubt. Shena didn't know this place at all and Ron would probably mess things up without supervision, like an avalanche caused by his sneeze last week. But still, seeds of jealousy slowly grew into sprouts. Kim hated herself for these thoughts. Shena became a close friend for them now and fit in their little company perfectly, despite some extra baggage on her shoulders. Kim liked to spend time with her and Monique, but it's her relationship with Ron that bothered her. Though Shena didn't have any special feelings for their blond pal, it was obvious that she caught his attention. Kim knew she had to do something to fix this. She had a plan, simple and to the point: just confess her feeling to him, until it's too late. And the nearest friday night will be the best option to execute it. Monique knew about that plan and already went full force in supporting it and arranging every single detail for it from hairstylist appointment to the perfect movie and seats choice. The only piece missing was Ron himself. Kim didn't ask him out yet.

A low growl came from the right, interrupting Kim's thoughts.

"Oh no…" Kim lit a nearest tablet. "Aisle 16…pets…"

She slowly pointed flashlight towards the sounds. A whole pack of small dogs, otters, hamsters and different birds grouped together and watched her every move.

"Everything will be fine." she tried to calm down herself. "Just going back, slowly and…JUMP!"

Kim swiftly climbed the nearest shelf as animals surrounded it.

"Good, i'm safe here."

She jumped to the top of the nearest shelf. Immediately all pets surrounded that shelf, several parrots flew up and sat near her.

"Now, that's REALLY creepy."

She jumped from one shelf to another, trying to get closer to her goal, meanwhile a pack of pets were chasing her restlessly. Staff room become closer and closer with every step.

"Please don't be close, please don't be close!"

She leaped forward it, instantly grabbed the knob and turned it. To her joy door opened with a satisfying creak. Kim, in a flash, slipped into the room and closed the door behind her back. As soon as she sighed in a relief a strange moans reached her ears, making her unintentionally shiver. But as soon as light from the flashlight lit part of the room she noticed people in familiar red vests, tied and gagged.

"Oh my gosh!" Kim immediately ran toward one with thick white mustaches and untied him. "I came to help you. What happened here?"

"Thank you miss, and welcome to Smarty Mart." man said and started to untie the other people in the room. "One ex-employee came earlier and use some smelly gas, next thing i remember i'm tied up here in the darkness. That smell, ugh…it was like a thousand old socks all together."

"Terrific." Kim cringed and untied the last person. "The one who did it, is his name happening to be Fru…ehm, Francis?"

"Yes!" man answered. "Francis Lurman. Wait a second, aren't you that girl who helped us that time he went all crazy and tried to destroy internet?"

"Yep, that's me." Kim felt a little embracement. "Anyway, we opened the back door, but pets are blocking the way out of this room. They were chasing me all the way."

"Oh, they just scared, honey." a woman with short dark hair smiled to her. "Let me handle them, i am in charge of aisle 16 after all."

As soon as woman opened the door a pack of animals met her with anticipation in their eyes. She whistled loudly.

"Hey boys and gals, to the cages, hop hop!"

All pets disappeared from the sight in the moment.

"Wow." Kim was impressed by that. "Right on! Now, let's go toward the back exit until something else happen."

Meanwhile Ron and Shena were hiding behind a smoothie machine. They saw a shadow, going toward aisle 21, Electronics.

"So, do we a have a plan?" Shena whispered.

"Well…" Ron scratched his head for couple seconds. "We do…i think…"

"Yeah, thinking is good and wonderful and all, but maybe it's better to tell me the plan if you have it?"

"Oh. Yeah yeah. We going to sneak up on him from both ends of the row, in the darkness. No flashlights."

"One tine tiny problem though. I can't see in the dark."

"No problem. I can walk around this place with my eyes close." he smiled and grabbed her wrist. "I'll lead you and give you a signal."

Ron turned off both of their flashlights and slowly went around smoothie machine toward aisles, dragging Shena along. She was feeling a bit unease from being dragged in the pitch black darkness by someone she knew for a bit more than a month. All around were barely visible, even the shadow they noticed before was noticed because it was cast from some light source that person had with himself.

'Come on, don't be a wuss.' she thought. 'It's ok. Ron will lead me. I can trust him, right?'

As soon as this thought went through her mind a memory appeared right next to it, about her second day in Middleton High. It was same sensation, soft, but firm grip around her wrist, dragging her into unknown. A smile involuntarily appeared on her face.

'Yeah, i can trust him.' she thought calmly.

They stopped near aisle 21. Weak light came from a portable nightlight, lighting up a male figure with a box full of cupcakes in his hands. Pieces of disassembled radio kit were on the floor around him. Ron tapped Shena's shoulder, to signal her to stay on the spot, and disappeared in shadows. Several seconds later he was from the other side of the rows.

"NOW!" he shouted and stood at the end of a row, blocking it.

"What?" man almost dropped a box on the floor from a surprise.

Shena stood in the other end, looking as menacing as she could. Yet Ron found it really hot.

"Put the box on the ground and go with us to the police station." Shena said sternly. "And then, maybe, we won't hurt you."

"NEVER!"

Frugal screamed from his lungs and tried to ram through Shena, unsuccessfully. As soon as he got near enough she tripped him and stepped on his back, to prevent him from standing.

"No! My Plan!" he whined. "Wait it's not over yet, i still can…"

He opened a box of cupcakes, that was still in his hands, and, barely chewing, ate one of them.

"AHAHAHA! You won't see the last of me!"

"Yeah yeah, you are all saying this." Ron tied him up with extension cord he found on a shelf nearby and searched his pockets. "A-ha! Remote control!"

As soon as Ron clicked the only button on the controls all place suddenly lit up.

"Finally i can see properly. Let's roll toward the exit."

They exited building through the main entrance, dragging Frugal Lucre behind on a cord. Police arrive several minutes later and took him under arrest.

"Thank you again." man with white mustaches smiled and handed something to them. "This is 200$ gift certificates for each of you. And as head manager of this fine establishment i'm happy to say: Welcome to Smarty Mart, where smart shoppers shop smart."

"200 bucks certificate AND Great Discount day!" feeling overwhelmed Ron. "BOOYAH!"

That evening a kind worker of the jail unceremoniously shoved Frugal into his prison cell.

"Oh great, you're back." Drakken rolled his eyes from the top bed. "Couldn't handle a day outside?"

"Don't be so gloomy roomie!" Frugal smiled at him. "I brought what you wanted."

"Really?" Drakken jumped down from the bed. "Where is it? Give it to me!"

"Ah-ah-ah. Not so fast." Frugal petted his belly. "I need some time to get it back."

"What do you…oh crud."

Hour later Frugal handed to a blue-skinned mad scientist a plastic bag with small pieces from radio kit inside. After taking it with a napkin, and making a note to himself to burn it later, Drakken installed them into a self-made device he kept under the pillow.

"Now, i need to find a corresponding frequency and…Yes! This should activate a back-up battery!"

Meanwhile in a neighboring cell a statue of a monkey-like British man started to move, transforming stone into flesh and clothes.

"Finally." Monty said with an irritation in his voice.

He took out several pieces of paper, which was kept under his kimono, placed them on the corner of the wall and threw a metal star at one of them. After a loud explosion, large portion of it was destroyed, creating an exit for his and neighboring cell.

"What took you so long Drakken?" Monty growled as he stepped around the rubbles of the wall.

"Kha Kha." Drakken coughed from the cloud of the dust. "Can you give a warning next time you blew something up? And it isn't easy to create a remote control inside a prison you know? Anyway, let's get out of here before your back up battery dies."

"Hey! Khoo khoo." Frugal cleared his throat from the dust. "Can you take me with you?"

"Well of course roomie." Drakken smiled deviously. "Your programming skills are just what i need in order to execute my next plan. And this time Kim Possible and whole her gang will be defeated once and for all! And the world will bow before Doctor Drakken!"