"RON!" cried Kim in shock.

But Ron didn't hear her. He had lost himself in battle, and he appeared to be loving every second of it.

With an angry screech, Kali threw herself at Ron and made a lightning-fast swipe at his face with her razor-sharp clawed hand; Ron simply ducked and returned fire, kicking upwards equally fast with his right leg as Kali just barely managed to dodge it.

"Having trouble keeping up, grandma?" sneered Ron. His mystical monkey powers seemed to have pushed his mild-mannered personality into hyperdrive. His strength and his snarkiness knew no bounds. "Oh, I'm sorry!" he laughed "How rude of me! I meant great-grandma..."

At that remark, Kali's left eye began to twitch.

Ron struck a 'drunken monkey' battle stance and readied himself for Kali's onslaught - not that he was worried. "I can dial it down a notch, if I'm too much for you!" he teased. A smug, mocking smile spread across his face as his sapphire blue aura pulsed and flared like cold flames.

With a growl, Kali wound up for another strike, still shocked at Ron's sudden, incredible display of power (and confidence) that had simply come out of nowhere. "There's no need, darling" she replied, as she ran her long tongue over her fangs. "I love a good hunt..."

Still lying captive in Klaus' arms, Kim's face was frozen in amazement as she watched Ron and Kali face off - this would definitely go down as one of the strangest nights in her lifetime...if not THE strangest.

"I can't...I can't believe I'm SEEING this!" she stammered. "Ron! What...what HAPPENED to you?!"

Kali was equally astonished. And furious. This ridiculous boy, whom only half an hour earlier, had been a quivering puddle of terror and helplessness, was now fighting back with a level of ferocity that was beyond exceptional. True, she relished a challenge - but only if she was gaining the upper hand. And her toughest opponents were rarely this mouthy.

Ron Stoppable had done a complete 180 - he had gone from an insecure and fearful goofball to a brash and brazen combatant with (apparently) no sense of fear. At this point, the high school bullies and plethora of villains he had faced would have been chewed up and spit out with no effort.

"I'm impressed with this force you've summoned up, boy" said Kali with a smile, "but please don't get overconfident..."

"Who's overconfident?" laughed Ron. "You're the ones who started this fight...I'm just gonna finish it!" With a roar, he charged up his energy barrier, cracking the Possible's driveway pavement beneath him and scorching it black.

Kali gazed upon him with half wonder and half malice. In her centuries of existence, she had faced many, MANY powerful foes - and overcome them - until now. And she was sensing something that she had not felt in many, many years...

...an actual threat.

"What...what on EARTH happened to Ron while I was knocked out?" shouted Kim as she turned back to face the still-grinning Klaus. "Speaking of which, what did you guys even DO to me to put me to sleep?! Answer me or I swear, I will-"

"There's no need for threats, my dear!" laughed Klaus. "Your little friend, it appears, has tapped into some kind of incredible power! And it's quite clear that you were the catalyst!"

"I...I caused him to turn into...that?" whispered Kim in wonder.

"I believe so, dearest! That young man must care deeply for you! When we attempted to take you away, he simply went mad with anger and grief!"

"He..he did?"

"Yes! It's true!"

Slack-jawed and wide-eyed, Kim turned back to face the battle.

"Is this...is this that...mystical monkey power that the Yamanouchi sensei had mentioned?" thought Kim, as she watched the two of them duke it out like angry gods, Kali's hellish red aura flailing against Ron's crystal blue one. "I can't believe it...he actually found a way to bring it out...and he's BRINGING it, alright!"

He was fighting for her. And she felt as though her heart just might burst in her chest.

"I love you SO much, Ron..." she said softly.

"How very touching!" laughed Klaus.

"Oh shut up, you freaky little pig!" she barked.

"Soooooooo...how do you wanna do this?" asked Ron, as he crossed his arms and glared at Kali with a devious smirk. His blue aura flared up and blew a sharp gust of wind, tossing Kali's long, flowing red hair in smooth undulating waves. "Should I kick your vampire ass into orbit, or do you just want to give up NOW?"

"...Ron...?" garbled Kim in surprise, with her eyes goggling and her jaw gaping wide. Not once in her life had she EVER seen him act like this. True, he could be a smart-ass at times, but not on...THIS level...it was so unlike him...

Not even Shego was this bad...

"Your silly little insults are not going to sway us, child" answered Kali with a self-assured grin, now having gotten her fiery temper under control. "We are taking Miss Possible along with us, and no matter what kind of magic or trickery that you devise against us, you will still fail. So say your tearful goodbyes and get it over with."

"Over my dead body" answered Ron.

"As you wish. I shall be more than happy to end your worthless existence."

"You're just mad cause' there isn't enough blood in the world to make you look five minutes younger."

Kim gasped.

"Ha!" laughed Klaus.

Kali may have been an immortal vampire, but she was still a woman. And an extremely vain one at that. Even Kim was shocked at how far Ron was taking this.

Kali's face was stunned by his impertinence. Just who the hell did he think he was dealing with, anyway?

"Miss Kali takes great pride in her good looks and her strength!" laughed Klaus, as Kim turned back to face him. "But she has a FOUL temper! And your friend appears to be pushing ALL of her buttons simultaneously! He just might be - dear me, what is the idiom? Biting off more than he can chew, perhaps? Ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Do you think this is funny or something?" cried Kim, as she began to struggle in his arms once again, though to no avail. "Look Mr. Klaus, I don't know what's happening, but I guarantee that it's not going to end well for you freaks!"

"But it IS going to end, my dear. Regardless" he answered coldly. She felt his tight grip on her body grow just a bit tighter.

Kim flinched. She really didn't like the way his voice sounded.

"Mmmmm...I suppose this is what I get for playing with my food..." answered Kali, who had mastered herself and returned to her seductive, alluring manner. "I imagine that the blood in your veins must be unlike anything I have ever tasted...like liquid fire..."

"Hope that your flimsy little vampire dentures can handle it" laughed Ron.

Kali's eye began to twitch again.

"He's gone NUTS!" thought Kim.