I do not own any Disney character named, or used within. They were borrowed for a tale meant for enterntainment purposes only.

Kim Possible: 2.0

By LJ58

Part 1:

Kim Possible's familiar image was frozen on the screen mid leap.

"There you have it, gentlemen," Betty said as she indicated the blurred image of the slender redhead moving so fast her image was blurred even at slow motion as she bounced and tumbled through a laser grid that would have sliced anyone else into pieces. Anyone normal.

"Tell me I'm wrong?"

One of the older analysts shook his head. "We can't, Dr. Director. Based on the analysis of all the evidence in our possession, from anecdotal to authenticated video files, there can be no doubt. Kim Possible is not human."

"At least, not a normal human," a balding man with thick glasses standing beside his peer continued.

"Considering she's ducking lasers that move at the speed of light, I am inclined to believe you, Dr. Banes," Betty Director told them. "What I want is an explanation. Is it some mutation, or an augmentation caused by her numerous…..mishaps? Is it a natural condition, or….?"

"With all due respect, ma'am," a lean, younger man with dark hair and eyes cut in. "Kim Possible's reputation actually began years before her first mishap with any rogue science. That would imply that whatever she is, she was already predisposed toward uniqueness before any of her accidents may have further….altered her."

"Quite right. And that concerns me. The entire Possible line seems studded with unusual intelligence. Unique individuals with atypical skills and abilities. Not to mention an inordinate belief in their own capabilities."

The younger scientist nodded. "Yet there is no single explanation, or physical indicator to suggest they are anything but….normal."

"Nothing," Betty agreed as she frowned, eyeing the clip frozen as she focused on the redhead's face.

Anyone else, even if they could manage such a feat, would be grim and focused. They would be aware that death was one tenth of a centimeter from them. Yet Kim was smiling. Her face lit with secret pleasure. She was enjoying herself.

There was no fear in that young visage. No concern. She might as well be…..playing. That was the only conclusion Betty Director could reach. The only one that even got close to her at times was…..

She pushed that thought away.

She had been a hero, too. She had been inordinately skilled, too. Of course, it was a natural, if bizarre accident that had changed her life. Only her boredom eventually led her away from being a hero. Led her away from fighting the good fight. In the end she ended up working for some of the more unsavory characters in the underworld. Even then, she only did it for a lark. She didn't really try to be evil. She was playing, too.

If she did really try, Betty had little doubt that Shego would, at the least, probably be ruling her own country by now. If not her own continent. Maybe more. She was that good.

And Kim was just as good.

Better, in some ways. Which naturally concerned her. Would history repeat itself? Would she end up watching another champion turn toward darkness? If only she could figure out her secrets.

Then she had an epiphany.

"Dr. Derik," Betty turned to him. "You said we have not found a single physical explanation for Possible's uncanny skills and abilities."

"That's right?"

"What about….intangible explanations?"

"This isn't going to be a repeat of the Ron Factor," the man shuddered, unable to believe any reputable scientist worth their caliber had actually considered that folly.

"No," Betty spat. "I'm thinking….brain waves. What if the secret isn't in the body? What if the real explanation is in the brain? Something we can't readily see? That unnatural optimism. That unflagging cheerfulness. What if there is something in her brain that supplies…whatever it is she possesses?"

"That….is possible," Owen nodded thoughtfully. "But I'd need to hook her up to a few machines for an extended period to be able to adequately test that hypothesis."

"Do it."

"You do realize her reticence to allow herself to be tested is almost as infamous as Shego's," Owen Derik reminded her. "The only reason we even have any tissue or DNA samples at all is because we were able to intercept that blood she donated at Middleton's last blood drive."

"I don't care. Make up something. But however you do it, I want Kim Possible in here by the end of the week. I want her giving up whatever secrets are buried in her brain. For once, I intend to see Global Justice has super-humans on their side. One way, or another," she stated firmly as she turned and walked out of the lab after one last look at the still of Kim somersaulting her way through a laser field no one else in the world could have managed.

No one.

X

"Psssst. Hey, Kimmie. Got a sec?"

"Shego," Kim turned from examining a new shipment of slacks in Club Banana. She had a few more days before she was off to college, and for a change, everything seemed pretty quiet.

"Truce," Shego told her, dressed in 'camouflage' that consisted of skirt and blouse in matching green, with one of her new holo-emitters that made her look like any other ordinary brunette on the planet that didn't have green skin.

"What do you want now," Kim asked, still angry about the last time they had met, and Shego had spurned the second chance she and Drew had to go straight after being honored for helping save the world from the invading aliens that had very nearly won if it hadn't been for Ron and, of all people, Drakken.

"Actually, I'm here doing you a favor."

"Me? The last time you did me a favor, I had to explain to the police I did not steal that dress you gave me for my date with Ron," she growled.

"I'm a thief," she shrugged. "What did you expect? And those are so not your color," she told her as Kim held a pair of light tan slacks to her waist.

She shot a dark glare her way, but put them back.

"So, why are you here? Aside from complaining about my sense of fashion again?"

"It's serious, Kimmie," she told her. "We need to talk. Now."

"Fine. Give me a few minutes, and meet me in the food court."

Fifteen minutes later, she walked to the food court carrying her purchases, but didn't see the brunette that had accosted her. She looked around again, sighed, and started to walk away.

"Hey, Kimmie," a lanky teen girl in green smiled and sauntered over to walk beside her.

"Shego," she said grimly, her voice the one thing the woman couldn't mask.

"Sorry. I thought a mall cop was eyeing me a little too carefully, so I slipped into the bathroom, and changed. I think he's still back there waiting for 'me' to come out.

"Okay, so what was so important you risked alerting all the local law enforcement in the area to come out in public to find me?"

"Got someplace private we can talk?"

"If this is a trick…"

"Hey, I swear," the apparent teen swore, her green eyes somber. "This is for that favor still stands between us. I'm repaying it here, Possible. With interest. Trust me on that."

"The less said of that the better," Kim growled, still unable to believe….

Well, she still didn't like to think about it.

"Look, I'm being completely legit here. Swear to God."

"Fine. We can talk in my car. Or do you have a ride?"

"I have a hovercraft parked just outside town. Just off the main highway."

"Someone could…"

"Please. Drew finally figured out how to cloak the thing. Unless they walk right into it, no one is going to find it."

"Okay, climb in," she said, opening her car, and letting Shego climb in.

"Want me to drive? I have a video file you need to see."

"Please. I don't want any tickets. Besides, I have an auto-drive now."

"Of course you do," Shego sighed, settling into the passenger seat.

"Which side of town," Kim asked as she settled into her seat after tossing her bags into the back seat.

"North. The state highway, not the interstate."

"Okay," she said, pressing a few buttons, and watching Shego stare as the car started up, and drove off on its own. "Now what is this all about."

"Two days ago I was snooping around in GJ headquarters…"

Kim shot her a grim look.

"I was worried about what Bets might be planning next. Okay? We've….had issues, so I like to keep an eye on her. What a shock, she wasn't even thinking about us this time. Me and Dr D, that is."

"So what are you…..?"

"Just watch," she said, and held up a small digital recorder, skimming to a file as she thumbed replay before offering an ear bud to her. Kim just plugged the device into her dash radio's USB port.

A few minutes later she was gaping as she reached the point where Betty very sternly declared, "I don't care. Make up something. But however you do it, I want Kim Possible in here by the end of the week, giving up whatever secrets are buried in her brain. For once, I intend to see Global Justice has the super humans on their side. One way, or another," the woman said as she stormed out of the room that Kim could tell was being filmed from above and inside an air shaft.

"I can't believe…."

"It's not over."

"I've an idea," Dr. Rollins told the others after the door closed after the lead agent that virtually ran Global Justice. "Let's call her mother, tell her we think she might have been inadvertently exposed to some alien agents of some sort that have only just now afflicted some of our agents. Tell her we're worried the symptoms might only now be manifesting, and that we need her in for testing to ensure she isn't carrying….something."

"A rather novel, and creative ploy," Owen Derik nodded. "I'll get something set up now. We'll need to incapacitate a few agents under mysterious causes first, in case that little busybody of hers checks in on us. So we need some authenticated files, and real patients ready to show him."

"Right. So….how do we do that," a voice she knew was Ian Banes asked.

"I think some diluted strains of XJ-V should do the job."

"Nasty," one of the men shuddered. "But, not lethal."

"Then let's get it all in place. Inside of a week, I want Kim Possible in our labs, finally yielding her secrets to Global Justice."

"Now it's over," Shego said as they left town, and kept driving north as Kim just stared at the now blank screen. "They just go off on he usual geeky tangents after that."

"I can't believe it. This is…."

"Whack?"

"Sick and wrong," she blurted. "I always thought Betty respected me. That she wanted me to join because she appreciated my…. My….. That…..bitch," she hissed.

"Yep. That's about how I felt when she turned on me, too."

Kim stared at the apparent teen, and frowned. "How did she turn on you? You're….?"

"Hey, Princess. Remember, I wasn't always a villain. I did the hero thing, too. I tried to jump through the hoops. Do the right thing. Yada, yada, yada. When Cyclops duped me into strapping myself down in one of her petting zoos for a full body exam, I kind of decided the other side definitely looked a lot rosier. You could say, that was the final straw on this camel's back."

"But….I'm not superhuman. I mean, I never met any rainbow comets, or mystical monkey thingy, or…..anything. I'm just…..me," she sputtered.

Shego chortled. "That's what I like about you, Kimmie. You're still so clueless sometimes even when you're sitting in the middle of a firestorm. Don't you get it? You're in a class of your own. Just like moi. And they just can't stand it."

Kim frowned. "But….they're supposed to be the good guys…..!"

"Here, pull over by that sign," she pointed, and Kim took the wheel only then, and simply watched as Shego pull out her mini-recorder from the dash. Not that it mattered. She had downloaded the file the moment it was plugged into the car's console. Along with anything else on it.

Just in case.

Pulling off the road, Shego put a hand on the door, and looked at her with a somber expression. "Just watch your back, Kimmie. I'm serious. Bets is out for what's good for her and her pet lackeys. Period."

"But….."

"Remember that old movie with the goof in it? In one scene, he sums up the world, Princess. Remember when he says, 'Good guy. Bad guy. Who cares? I'm the guy with the gun.' That's the real world, Kimmie. Get used to it. Because they're aiming at you now."

Shego jumped out of the car, her hologram fading to reveal a voluptuously rounded brunette with green skin in a black and green catsuit.

"Darn it. I told Drakken he needed better batteries for this gizmo," she complained as she disappeared into a translucent haze that suddenly began to whine, and rise over her head.

She frowned, then turned the car around, and started back toward town.

Halfway home, she pressed a button, and a familiar face appeared on the small digital screen.

"Hey, KP," Wade smiled. "What's up?"

"I don't know. Yet. I'm sending you a file, Wade. I need you to timestamp and authenticate it for me. Then see if you can figure out what's going on."

"Whoa. What is it?"

"I think you'll know when you see it, Wade," she said, and isolated the single file she needed to send. The rest she would personally review, and delete herself if they weren't indicative of any serious threats from those two in the future.

With Shego, it was hard to tell.

"Okay, Kim. I've got it. I'll check it out, and be in touch."

"And, Wade? This is just between us. Okay?"

Wade eyed her through the small screen, then nodded. "Not a problem, Kim. You know you can count on me."

"I know, Wade, and thanks."

She pulled up in her drive by then, and set and sifted through a generic play list, several pirated movies, and a few personal call logs downloaded from another computer. They didn't seem to be indicative of anything major, so she deleted them all.

All except one file she found labeled simply, Princess.

She downloaded that one, and plucked the flash drive from the console to take into the house with her.

Ignoring the tweebs' usual banter, she walked up to her room, switching on her computer, and opened the file.

It was a simple text message.

"If you're reading this, it means you've finally learned how to be clever," Shego had written. "So, if you end up finding out I was right, which I am, use these coordinates if you're in need of a hiding place when it blows up in your face. Trust me, no one will find you there, Princess."

There was no signature. Just a group of coordinates that she knew put the location somewhere in the middle of the south Pacific.

She plugged them into the computer's map quest, and all she found was ocean.

An underwater lair?

Uncharted island?

She wasn't sure why Shego would offer up what must be one of her super-secret hideouts where she managed to duck her pursuers at times. She frowned thoughtfully, deciding it was either because she felt things were far more serious than Kim considered possible, or because it was a trap.

She'd wait to hear from Wade first, because even after seeing that file, it was just very hard to believe that Betty Director, who had personally offered to sponsor her enlistment in GJ after that alien sitch, would do this to her. Sure, she had seemed a little disappointed that Kim chose to go to college first, and try her own way first, but she didn't seem like she had been that disappointed.

She closed the file, deleted it, and cleared the hard drive the way Wade had taught her. With her photographic memory, she had the coordinates in her head now anyway, so it was no big.

She wished Ron was around to talk to just now, but he had gone to Tokyo to start his culinary school. And, of course, to be closer to Yamanouchi to continue his ninja training. They had dated all summer, and toward the end realized that while they remained good friends, and had fun, they just weren't going to be the forever kind of couple Kim envisioned being when she found her perfect match.

Ron, having matured quite a lot that summer, accepted the fact, too, and they remained friends in spite of their break up.

Unlike, say, Bonnie, who was threatening to sue Junior for anything and everything after she caught him cheating on her while she was in summer school. She could still hear Junior wailing, "But how am I expected to withhold the beauty that is myself from my admiring public just because you are not around?"

Which, if you knew Junior, was rather pathetic.

"I'm home," Ann Possible shouted as she walked into the house even as Kim shut off her computer.

She considered going and talking to her mom right then and there, but wanted to hear from Wade first. After all, this could still be a trick. The last thing she needed to do was blunder into a clever trap Shego was building for her.

Only, why would she even bother with something so elaborate when her usual methods were more sneak in, grab it all, and run?

Okay, she could see her sneaking into GJ, just to prove she could. After all, she walked out of prison like she had a free pass as fast as they put her in. And that was only if she was bored enough to stay in one place long enough to let them arrest her.

Shego, she knew, was all about the thrill.

She frowned.

Was that all she wanted, too?

No. She liked helping people. That was her thrill. Helping people out.

She wasn't like Shego at all.

Not one bit, she told herself as she looked at the poster half hidden on the back wall of her closet of Team Go, with Shego standing front and center in a characteristic power stance that had not changed despite her fall from grace.

Young as that cocky face was on that poster appeared on the dated image, she was still the same woman Kim now fought.

Still, she was wondering about that a lot lately.

Shego could tear through solid steel if she was motivated, and yet she let Kim beat her on a pretty regular basis.

What was going on?

"Kim," her mother called just then. "Come down here, will you?"

"Coming, mom," she said, and went down to see her mom staring at the table with the phone near her hand.

"I just heard from that Dr. Director, dear. Something…..serious may have come up."

Kim felt a chill. It had been about three days Shego had claimed, since she had overheard that little tidbit. Three days would just be enough time to…..

"She said some of their agents have had some serious reactions to…."

"Possibly alien toxins," Kim told her, finishing her sentence. "They want me to come in so they can check me out, too."

"Yes, that's right. Did Wade already contact you?"

"Did they ask about you, mom? Or Ron? Or anyone else?"

"Well, no," Ann frowned. "Just you."

"Just a minute, mom. Wade," she called over her wrist Kimmunicator. "Time's up. What have you got?"

"I was about to call you, KP," the young man told her. "The footage is genuine. And Dr. Banes is the head of GJ's lab is the foremost authority in genetic research and experimentation," he added. "Kim, I think this warning is legit. GJ is trying to bring you in to experiment on you," he said grimly.

"What," Ann gasped.

"Show mom the footage, Wade," she told her.

He did, and Ann turned pale as she watched the head agent in Global Justice order her techs and scientists to take her daughter apart like a science experiment.

"I think I'd better leave early, mom," she told her grimly. "And you'd better watch the boys. They might decide to come after them next."

"But….what if they come after you at college," she asked.

Kim smiled. "I never got around to telling Betty where I was going. Hopefully by the time I get under cover, they won't find Kim Possible anywhere."

"But you may not hear from me for a while until I'm sure it's safe," she told her.

"I understand. Just be careful. I don't like the fact that woman pretended to be your friend all this time while she was planning something….like this."

"Neither do I, mom," Kim said grimly. "Neither do I."

X

"Mutants," the announcer on the television drawled. "Do they live among us?'

There was a dramatic pause as flashes of various people in ordinary situations were shown on the screen.

"Everyone knows of the heroic exploits of Team Go," the stern narrator drawled as the screen flashed an image of the four young men that still defended Go City since their return to public life. "And, of course, the fallen heroine who once stood at their side," he went on, an old photo of Shego now showing.

"But while you can look at these pictures, and know that here are people who are not quite human, there are others that seem human, but aren't. Camille Leon, deposed heiress who can literally morph into anyone she wants to be. Monte Fiske, English lord who mysteriously vanished over a year ago, but was strangely apelike in his manner and appearance. Gill, a human amphibian with a bad attitude. And then there is…..Kim Possible."

The announcer paused before going on, obviously cuing the dramatic declaration for all it was worth.

"Yes, Kim Possible. Famed adventurer, and world-saving heroine. For a time this outgoing young woman was the face of a new, and daring world. Was, because recently it was proven that Kim Possible is a mutant. How else could an ordinary cheerleader manage to so often save the world from some of the most dangerous alpha felons in the world? How else accomplish some of the deeds accredited to her? Now, there are some who are calling for the registration, monitoring, and even possible incarceration of such potentially dangerous creatures."

The screen changed again, showing new scene.

"Dr. Betty Director, head of the U.N. Global Justice agency, had this to say."

The screen segued, and a one-eyed woman in dark blue stood proudly before the U.N. building, and seemed to study the cameraman a moment before she nodded, and stated, "I would be the first to say Kim Possible has always been first, and foremost, a hero. A sterling example what of our younger generation could and should be. But I could have said the same thing about Miss Go, or Miss Leon, too. Regrettably, there are likely many more just like them. Do their powers and abilities automatically corrupt them? I do not know. But as an agent of justice I have to ask, does it not behoove us to find out,' she stated firmly as she looked into the camera. "Before the next hero falls from grace?"

X

"What a jerk," the pudgy blonde sneered as one of the girls in the room switched the channel.

"I'm not arguing," the lean brunette drawled, looking up from her books. "She seems kind of a prude to me, anyway," she huffed.

"Says the only real virgin in all of Berlin," the blonde sniggered at her.

"I'm a virgin," the redhead lounging on her bed in the small dorm room informed them.

"Oh, please, Annie," the blonde tittered. "You date anything with three legs."

"Three," the redhead frowned. Then blushed. "I'm not that bad," she squealed.

The blonde tittered as they eyed the music video playing even as they heard the wail of turbines outside suddenly filling the air.

"What could that be," the redhead asked as they all went to the window, and saw a sleek, blue and black VTOL landing not far from their dorm.

Nor was it alone. Four similar jets were dropping from the sky, and all of them carried the GJ logo on the tail.

"Whoa," the blonde exclaimed. "What are they doing here….? Nina," she turned to their brunette roommate who was haphazardly shoving things into a bag while talking into her watch.

"They found me, again, Wade. I'm going with the beta option this time."

"Okay, KP. Sorry I couldn't have given you more warning this time. They're turning this PR campaign into a real witch hunt. There are people running scared everywhere."

"Understood. Can you hack their flight computers, and give me a head start," she asked as the holographic emitter masking her dropped, and both students stared at their roommate in awe even as silvery, nannite-driven battle armor began to cover her entire, wiry body.

"Give me a second, Kim. They've shielded their flight controls from outside interference this time, so this might be tricky. Okay. Done. What do you need?"

"I'm bringing the Roth right to my window," she told him. "Give me time to go vertical, and if anyone notices, have their systems do the opposite of what they want to do."

"That should confuse them," Wade laughed. "All right, KP. Standing by."

"Okay, here's come my ride," she said, hearing the faint whine of her robotic car's own thrusters even though it remained unseen.

"Open up, Annie," she shouted at the window, and her roommate frowned, confused by her words.

"Sorry," Kim told the redhead. "My ride's AI is named Annie, too," she said, tossing her few things into the back seat as she went to the window the moment the door opened to reveal a small door hanging in space as the GJ agents spilled out of their jets onto the campus.

"You… You're her," the blonde finally got out.

"Yep. The evil mutant," Kim winked, and climbed into the Roth. "Good luck with finals," she said, and slammed the door, the whine of the engines outside rising straight up as the invisible car rose into the air to escape the agents not yet aware of her escape.

"That was soooooo cool," Annie exclaimed.

"Yeah," Sara Heinrich nodded, wondering if her cousin would ever believe she shared a room with Kim Possible for almost a whole year.

They were both still staring out the window when four agents stormed into their room, holding guns on them.

"Kim Possible," one of the men said, aiming directly at Annie Strucker. "You are under arres….."

The man trailed off, looking at the redhead who was very pale, and very close to fainting.

"You aren't Kim Possible," he complained even as a device he held glowed red.

"You just missed her," Sara grinned, pointing out the window.

"Team two, team three. Do you have a visual," the agent in charge barked over his radio as he ran to the window looking down.

"Yo. Storm trooper," Sara sniggered. "You're looking the wrong direction," she told him, pointing up."

"She's airborne," the man shouted. "Switch to IFR, and use passive scans. Go, go!"

"I've got a heat signature at five hundred feet and climbing," came over the radio. "But no radar lock."

"Follow it anyway. I'm on my way down now."

"Hey, Stormy," Sara called as the man turned to leave the room. "Smile," she said, taking his picture. "I'm going to make you famous," Sara said as he scowled, and ran off with his men, barking orders, ignoring her pale roommate who had yet to stop trembling.

"Damn it. Damn it. What is going on," Will Du demanded five minutes later as his jet refused to rise, but kept trying to bank starboard as the pilot beside him worked frantically with the controls.

"Anyone able, keep on Possible, and follow her. Do not wait for backup. Take her down," he thundered over the radio that broadcast his orders through external speakers.

"Sorry, commander. All our birds are a no-go."

"It's that kid. I want him found, and arrested," Will spat, banging a fist on the console.

Every man there knew if they could find Wade, he would have been brought in months ago.

He had gone off the grid with Possible, and no one knew where to find him.

His house was a blind.

His wireless web was routed through so many servers and satellites there was no telling where it originated. The smartest kid on the planet had just made them look like idiots.

Again.

"IFR signal lost," someone reported. "She got away."

"Damn, damn, damn," Will almost screamed, his legendary calm lost. "Heads will roll for this. I swear, heads will roll!"

X

"You're kidding?"

"I wish I was," Wade told her as she flew away from Germany as fast as the Roth could go suborbital, and arch down and away from potential pursuit. "Some anonymous tip mistook your roommate for you."

"Which wouldn't have helped if I stayed. Their new genetic scanners would have locked on me anyway."

"I'm afraid so. Whoever came up with that one definitely knew what they were doing. Meanwhile, I checked out those coordinates again. There is an uncharted, volcanic island there. Inactive, so don't worry. But sonar indicates there is a series of caverns under the island. The perfect place to lay low."

"Any sign of Shego or Drakken since that mess he caused in France?"

"No," Wade shook his head, then grinned. "But they are still trying to stop flowers from growing on the Eiffel Tower."

"This is getting ridiculous, Wade. They're making it sound like anyone that's the slightest bit different is an enemy of the world."

"Well, by definition, I'm a mutant, too," he nodded. "Fortunately, I saw the writing on the warrants, and got my mom to move before they came calling."

"Just don't take any chances, Wade. If it comes down to it, you take care of yourself and your mom first."

"Don't worry about us, KP. I may not have a secret island hideaway, but I learned a long time ago how to hide in plain sight," he smirked.

"Well, I guess I'll be missing finals," she sighed. "And I really worked hard on that Anatomy test, too."

"You could always go online and finish your term."

"Really?"

"It's what I did," Wade reminded her.

"Spankin'," she grinned. "I might just do that."

"Just let me know, and I'll set up an untraceable IP signature so they can't back-trace you."

"Thanks, Wade. You definitely still rock. I'm heading down, so I'm going to let you go. Be careful. They're bound to be after you all the more after today."

"They always were, KP. But if they want to play with the airwaves, so can I."

"Whoa. Go get 'em, Wade," she grinned knowingly.

He flashed a boyish smile, and was gone.

She looked down, and saw nothing but ocean even as the Roth dropped fast, evading any local radar in the area, and watching for any naval activity from any nation. The AI that now ran her robotic transport, as Wade now liked to call it, did a good job of multi-tasting.

It wasn't long before she saw the tiny, green and brown speck in the middle of the ocean. Well off any shipping lanes, or regular flight paths, she didn't doubt Shego had some kind of protection from satellite detection, too. It took Wade almost six months to even get close to it. That meant GJ didn't have a clue. She hoped.

She took manual control of the car, flew in closer, and saw a fair-sized island with a sandy beach framed by the volcanic cone that stretched out to form short, irregular ridges that curved around the interior like a natural rock fence. The interior was a lush, thick jungle.

Just that narrow strip of sand on one side was all that made it accessible.

She flew lower, the car settling to the beach as she rolled up into the jungle, and let the thick palms camouflage her car rather than waste battery power on stealth mode here. Not that the new fusion cell Wade invented would be running out of power any time soon. Between that, and the tweebs' new upgrades, her 'Sloth' was almost unstoppable.

She considered her circumstances, and left her battle suit active, the silvery garment with black piping hugging her every curve snugly as she closed and locked her car, leaving Annie on standby. The jungle was quiet, and she checked the beach first, but saw no footprints. Nor did she find anything to indicate recent visitors.

She walked into the jungle, and found a faint path to one side after an hour of looking around. It led her to a waterfall that fed a deep pool with clear, fresh water, and she drank greedily after the Kimmunicator's scanner assured her it was clean and safe.

"Now if they bottled this," she murmured, "They'd make a fortune," she said, surprised at the crisp, fresh taste of the water.

She looked around, and kept walking, exploring the island as she tried to figure out where Shego must go since there had to be an entrance to the underground caverns Wade indicated. She stayed close to the cliff walls, studying them, but found them sheer, solid, and unyielding. Scans didn't even find a hidden entrance anywhere. She noticed the sun setting by the time she only finished scouring a third of the rock wall, so she loped back to the car, deactivated her suit, and then set up camp just inside the tree line, and was more than grateful she kept her car packed except for a few essentials for emergency getaways.

She had experienced two close calls in the past year.

Three now.

It was starting to make her paranoid.

Only as Ron would say, "Are you really paranoid if someone is out to get you?"

After that second close call, she was forced to suspend her missions, knowing GJ was watching for her. Ron was the only reason she had gotten away then. His ninja skills were growing considerably, and his mastery over his mystical powers was more than impressive. She was surprised Betty hadn't added his name to the growing list of 'evil mutants.'

Of course, she also knew that even Betty knew better than to piss off an ancient band of ninja who could literally come and go without you ever knowing they were even there.

Especially when she was still trying to recruit them, too. She doubted Sensei was impressed. Especially with Ron telling him what was going on lately.

She sat just inside the tree line, eating her emergency rations, and wishing she had a pizza, or….something. Still, as she sat staring up at the stars, she had to grin at the idea of their jets acting wonky when they tried to follow her.

She hoped her family was all right. That thought had her smile fading. She had not been able to visit home in months.

Damn Betty anyway.

Was her hunger for super agents so great she had to destroy lives to make herself look good?

She lay back beside the car, not feeling like sleeping inside on such a nice night.

She should be celebrating passing her freshman year in college instead of camping out on a deserted island. She should be still doing the hero thing instead of running from GJ. She should be able to call home without worrying about the good guys tapping her phone.

When had things gotten so complicated?

She sighed, and shook her head as she closed her eyes, and listened to the sounds of the night around her.

No wildlife, so far as she could tell. Just faint ocean breezes, and the rustle of the wind in the trees.

She'd go back where she left off tomorrow, and keep hunting. Surely there was a hatch, or something. Somehow, she couldn't imagine Shego roughing it anywhere, for any reason. That woman liked her comfort far too much to just camp out on an island in the middle of nowhere.

She wandered if she was around, but surely if she were, she would have come and greeted her?

If only to smirk smugly, and say; "I told you so!"

She sighed, and forced herself to relax as she let herself drift off to sleep.

To Be Continued…