Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kim Possible. These characters belong to Disney (aside from Lucifer, Cheshire, and any other OCs present in this story).

Disclaimer #2: I'm NOT a writer, I'm an artist. I'm extremely inexperienced in writing fanfics, so I'm so sorry for any inconsistencies in the characters or plot!

Author: iycewing

Story developers: iycewing, PonyCrown

Rating: PG-13

Notice: This will eventually lead to KiGo in later arcs! This is the 1st arc of 6! If you don't like LGBTQ+ pairings, please don't hate. In this story, Season 4 of the show doesn't happen.

Author's preview notes: Guys I'm so sorry for the delay in this last chapter. With everything going on in the world, along with me getting sick, it's been a stressful chapter to write. Please stay safe and healthy and enjoy the last chapter of the 1st arc! I have a lot to say afterwards too so please read my notes at the end of the chapter!

Fanart is always welcome and appreciated! Send them to the places listed on my profile!

Please read and review! Your feedback helps keep the story going! :D

Chapter 38

"Fire…" Kim finally managed to croak.

She stood frozen, staring at the hot growing ribbons of orange and red creeping at the end of the demolished hallway. It was strangely mesmerizing, and for a second, her brain stopped processing the searing smoke that was coming in like a black blizzard. Dirt and dust had seeped through the cracks in the destroyed walls, piling around a frightened, tied-up Cheshire.

"This is why I need at least two cups of coffee before doing anything in the morning," Shego muttered. An unconscious DNAmy groaned beside her, letting a small stream of blood trickle out of her slack jaw. Shego glanced at the geneticist and grimaced, her lip curled in disgust. "Actually make that three."

"Shoot, FIRE!" Kim blinked out of her momentary trance and yanked her Kimmunicator out of her pocket. In doing so, the tiny chip they had found on Cheshire's neck tumbled out. She scooped the device back up and stashed it deep into her pants pocket.

Don't want to lose that.

The sharp tang of smoke started to burn their noses, especially with the two mutant animal's sensitivity to smell. Both cats let out a low whine and pressed their ears back tightly against their heads.

"Time to go losers!" Shego swiftly leaped back and started towards her left, the only direction where the fire wasn't raging. Lucifer didn't follow and continued to stare anxiously at the fellow mutant big cat, much to Shego's surprise.

"Shego, wait! We can't just leave them!" Kim protested, gesturing towards a terrified Cheshire and an unconscious DNAmy.

The villainess paused and whipped her head around. "Uh- sure we can-"

Without waiting to hear Shego's response, she raced towards the restrained mutant feline and grabbed one of the many sharp, broken pieces from the crumbling wall. She quickly sliced the sloppily-tied ropes off with one swift swipe of her makeshift knife, accidentally slicing a length of black fur with it.

Kim discarded the tile shard and coughed, feeling her already-burned skin tingle from the heat's proximity.

With a small shrill of panic from the growing heat, Cheshire shakily pushed himself onto his three sturdy paws. He lifted his injured back leg up and gingerly limped after Kim, wincing every time his mangled paw grazed the ground.

Shego had returned to Lucifer's side, subconsciously petting him with a hardened expression. The docile creature flicked his scorpion tail back and forth nervously as he kneaded the ground with his forepaws, clearly agitated.

With her matching jumpy-ness, Shego looked like she was also about ready to ditch at any second.

"Help me get Cheshire on Lucifer's back! His leg's hurt so he can't run," Kim ordered, ignoring Shego's irritated sputtering.

Shego didn't argue, however, and with the ropes, they had found earlier, she helped strap the shadowy big cat to Lucifer's striped back.

"Oh and we're getting her out too," Kim informed, gesturing at DNAmy's crumpled body.

"Kimmie, life isn't a perfect little fairy tale that always has a happy ending. Sometimes you can't be the hero and save the fucking day!" Shego sighed, more out of frustration than anger.

"No, I can't always be the hero," Kim agreed, her olive eyes steely with determination. "But I sure as hell can try."

And with that she darted into the darkness, Kimmunicator in hand, followed closely by Shego, two mutant big cats, and a sleeping evil geneticist.

"Wade!" Kim exclaimed into her Kimmunicator. "There's a fire and we're trapped down here. We need a way out please!"

"I've got you, Kim," Wade understood the urgency and was already studying their exit routes. "Take a right and then go straight until you can turn left."

Shego had decided to carry DNAmy herself, albeit very roughly without any care of preservation for the geneticist's body. She had thrown the heavy woman over her shoulder like a rag doll, feeling her weight sink into every step she took.

Lucifer often glanced at Shego running beside him with a nervous twitch of his whiskers. He seemed to be galloping along just fine with Cheshire's extra weight hanging onto his back.

"I'm fine," Shego assured him.

Kim's face was washed with both warm and cool hues, as the only sources of light were coming from her device's screen, the tailing flames, and the fiery passion in her squinted olive eyes.

"Turn right again," Wade ordered.

Kim complied and swerved around the corner only to be greeted by a wall of unbreakable flames.

"Wade, the fire's blocking our way! I can't get through!" Kim yelled and stumbled back.

"Stay calm," Wade began furiously typing into his computer. He was sweating as if he was there with them, baking in the intense heat. "Okay, turn around and turn left after you've passed four doors. I'll lead you to another exit."

"If DNAmy was such a genius on genetic altering-" Shego huffed, seemingly unable to catch her breath. "- then why couldn't she just change her own genetic makeup to a lighter human being?! One that preferably weighs less than 300 pounds?"

Kim ignored Shego's complaints and continued to race against time, her eyes and ears focused on the verbal instructions and visual building layout Wade had provided her.

"KIM!" Shego shouted and let DNAmy crash to the floor. She yanked the shocked redhead back so roughly and abruptly that Kim's shoulder almost popped out.

If Shego hasn't stopped her, Kim would've run straight into a crashing fire.

"Back up!" Shego barked, shoving Kim back more so that they were far from the death trap.

Kim finally regained her bearings, and the two girls fell back to their small group, who had scrambled away from the fallen beam that had caught fire. The teen was rendered speechless for a brief moment, too stunned to process how close to death she had just gotten. She turned to stare wide-eyed at Shego, the villainess who was the unlikely hero.

"Thank you," Kim breathed. "I wasn't paying attention to where I was."

"No shit," Shego muttered, her downward gaze relieved. "Try not to die, please. I'm not carrying both you and DNAmy out if you do."

Kim simply nodded and turned to look at her Kimmunicator, or rather, her empty hand. "WAIT- where's my Kimmunicator?!"

Shego pointed at the bombfire.

Oh no. No no no no no. I dropped it in there when Shego pulled me back.

"MY KIMMUNICATOR'S GONE," Kim gasped. She looked like she would've rather fell into the fire and taken the device's place instead.

"I just saved your life, and you're worried about your godamn phone?!" Shego asked incredulously.

"The Kimmunicator was our only chance of getting out of here! Wade had the whole building mapped out so he knew where we needed to go!" Kim shrieked, her voice almost quivering.

"Hey, take it down two notches. We'll get out of here without a living GPS," Shego assured.

"How? We don't have a map, we can't use the air vents, and I'm sure that fire's blocking our only exit!" Kim glanced at where Wade was originally leading them, the unrecognizable hallway now flickering with orange and yellow.

The flurry of fire they were running from could be felt creeping up on their sweaty backs. The longer they delayed, the thicker the air got with heat and smoke. In the broad, blazing light, Kim could clearly see the burned parts of Shego's pale skin. The healed parts were already starting to burn again.

Shego pursed her cracked lips and looked deadly serious. Her striking emerald eyes smoldered brighter than the flames around them. "We wing it and pray we don't get burned alive."

Kim swallowed and nodded tersely, letting Shego lead this time. They passed the large room where DNAmy genetically altered her experiments.

"What about changing Lucifer and Cheshire back?" Kim yelled over the thundering flames.

"To hell with that! I'd rather get out of this place!" Shego shouted back.

Shego turned each burning corner blindly, hoping that it led her to a staircase and not a dead end.

Without any sort of working ventilation, the underground lab only became hotter and stuffier. It felt like running through a field of hidden land mines, the possibility of anything exploding and your leg catching fire high as ever.

"An exit sign! Thank fucking god!" Shego groaned and glanced behind her. "Kimmie, I told you we didn't need Nerdlinger-"

Shego frowned and did a double-take over her shoulder. She slowed down and squinted against the intensifying light and heat.

Two dumb mutant litter boxes: check.

Bitch who's going to suffer when she wakes up: check.

Fire that's trying to burn us alive: check…

Kimmie: no check...? NO CHECK.

The villainess skidded to a screeching halt, almost causing Lucifer to crash into her. He stopped too and stood by Shego's side like a loyal dog waiting for its master. Cheshire hung weakly off of the giant scorpion tiger's back, his dark coat matted with clumps of ash and soot.

Shego carelessly dropped DNAmy like a sack of potatoes, causing her broken arm to gruesomely twist more, and scanned the burning hallway behind them. The underground lab looked like something out of a horror movie, twisted metal dripping down the ceiling, crumbling walls, and the strangling fear of no escape. Deep shadows crept into the few places where a fire hadn't already inhabited.

The air didn't smell like that of a cozy, oak wood campfire on a cool summer evening; it reeked of burnt electrical wires, acrid, and chemical-infused choking. She could barely speak, partially from the quantity of smoke she had inhaled and partially from her rising panic. It felt as if a wrecking ball had crashed into her stomach, filling her every inch with dread.

"Kimmie!" Shego called, projecting her voice as much as she could into the pounding roar of the flames.

No indication of movement besides the tantalizing dance of the fire. No answer. No sign of life.

"KIM!"

Nothing.

Lucifer whimpered next to her. His dark, green eyes looked exhausted, and his golden fur was starting to take the color of his black stripes. With wide sweeps of his maroon scorpion tail, he kept the creeping fire at bay from blocking their last exit.

Shego glanced behind her. The double doors leading to the stairs were only a few steps away. Climbing those stairs now would guarantee her safety, or more bluntly, her survival.

But right now, she was surprised to realize she didn't care about her life. She figured there might be some faint traces of radiation still fogging her brain and rational thinking because that was definitely not a very Shego-like thought.

Oh, how she wished she could revert to her selfish and greedy self. She wouldn't even be in this situation in the first place.

"Fuck it all," Shego muttered and scooped up DNAmy with one arm.

She practically tossed the limp woman onto Lucifer's back, causing Cheshire to scoot over to make space. Lucifer, not minding the extra weight, looked confused and tilted his large head.

Shego gestured wildly towards the exit, making sure she stared directly in his beady eyes so he understood her command. "Take those two and get out! Now!"

Lucifer flattened his ears, seemingly understanding what she said by the intensity of her movements. He looked at the Shego with pleading eyes as if he was begging for him to stay with her.

Shego growled like a rabid feral animal. Now wasn't the time for loyalty!

"You dumb litter box, get out! Go! NOW!" Shego barked, taking a threatening step forward while balling her fists. She even stood on her tiptoes even though the creature before her was much bigger.

Lucifer tucked his tail and bared his fangs, not out of aggression, but out of fear and anxiety. He stiffened and arched his back, almost causing the two bodies he was carrying to slip off.

"GET OUT!" Shego snarled and out of frustration and desperation, punched his dry, pink nose. It wasn't a hard hit, just enough so he'd get the message. But as soon as her knuckles made contact with the big cat's sensitive muzzle, she felt an immediate wave of regret.

She quickly retracted her arm as Lucifer whined and backed away, his round eyes deeply saddened. Though she wanted to reach out and console the distressed creature, maybe even apologize for hitting him, the villainess kept her face stern and stance dominant. It was admittedly a hard thing to do.

Lucifer cast one last look at Shego before knocking down the thin doors and disappearing into the dark stairway. Seeing that he was gone, and thankfully safe, Shego spun on her heel and rushed head-first into the wall of fire.

It didn't matter that her entire body was still weak and unusually vulnerable due to the exposure of radiation. She had to remember that her skin wasn't as indestructible as it usually was to hot materials. With a grim expression, she sprinted into the blazing inferno as if she were invincible… or insane.

She took a giant leap and dove, striking the hot ground with an expertly timed shoulder roll. As soon as she jumped to her feet, her vision was flooded with vibrant hues of yellow ochre and sunset orange.

"Kim! Where the hell are you?!" Shego shouted, coughing heavily afterwards. She was lucky her superpowered body was able to inhale larger amounts of carbon monoxide than the average human body. Otherwise, she would've already passed out. It was a miracle Kim was able to run for as long as she had.

The wounded thief charged deeper into the colossal fire, calling out Kim's name and looking for any sign of movement. Or rather, lack thereof.

It was getting harder to see with the thunderstorm-like clouds billowing through the cramped hallway. The stench dominated her every breath, and she could feel her eyes start to water through the thickening, increasingly unbreathable air.

Coughing with every drag of her heavy feet, she pushed back further until bright crimson hair stabbed her liquifying vision. Shego wanted to call out to her again, but she could barely find the strength in her to swallow.

A giant, horizontal support beam had somehow crashed, slowly engulfing the area in a frenzy of burning light.

Kim was underneath that beam.

Shego blinked and strained to steady her movements. She rushed over to find Kim laying on her stomach with her arms sprawled out in front of her. Her left leg was trapped underneath the heavy beam, and the villainess could see a dark pool of blood forming like a puddle in the rain.

Kim was barely conscious, and Shego would've assumed she was dead if it weren't for the slight fluttering of her eyelids.

"… Shego?" Kim murmured without lifting her head up, her breathing shallow and short.

"Kim… Stay awake… Godammit!" Shego growled as she lifted the beam and flung it away as if it were a toothpick. Part of Kim's cargo pants ripped off with the abrupt action, but that was the least of both of their worries.

Shego gently scooped the teen up bridal-style, careful to not touch her foot, and clutched Kim firmly against her chest. With the speed of someone who was literally running for their life, Shego dodged sudden explosions and fallen machinery as she swiftly waded out the thickest part of the inferno.

"Shego…?" Kim whispered again with her eyes closed. She could feel her light body being roughly carried, but it took too much of her draining energy to even lift her head.

"You're not even dead, and I still have to carry your deadass body out," Shego complained through grit teeth.

She did her best to protect Kim from the groping flames and sporadic sparks, but it was hard to even keep her eyes alert and focused straight ahead when she was tripping over her shaky feet.

The strangling air was now unbreathable and toxic, and it felt like the billowing clouds of smoke were grabbing Shego, dragging her backwards to be burned alive in the center of the chaos. They latched onto her weakening body like the metal restraints from when she was strapped down to DNAmy's examination table, ready to be cut open. She resisted the urge to gag as she strained against the fiery ropes.

Shego's chest felt like it was going to completely fail her. Her throat felt like she had just chugged an entire bottle of straight-up Vodka, and the throbbing in her head felt worse than any hangover she had ever had before.

The stinging tears that were pouring down her tense face evaporated almost immediately after they left her cherry-red eyes. Her bloodshot emerald orbs were fixated on the end of the brightly lit, flickering hallway, where their escape lay hopefully unscathed. Kim's arms slipped from around Shego's neck, and she could feel the teen's breathing getting weaker with every second.

"Don't you dare die on me! Don't you even fucking think about dying!" Shego snarled desperately, her pursed, cracked lips tight with worry and anxiety. She couldn't even imagine how she would feel if Kim died in her arms…

No! Stay strong or you're dead!

Double doors that led to the stairwell came into view, igniting a spark of hope in Shego's heaving chest. Instead of speeding up, however, she slowed when the rumbling above her got dangerously loud.

The underground facility shook as more explosions, farther off, caused the ground above them to quake. Shards of the ceiling, followed by tumbling rocks and clumps of soil began to rain down as the ground shook more violently. The whole place was at risk of collapsing in on itself, burying Kim and Shego with it.

In the time it took for her to blink, she sent a silent prayer to any god up there and held a very-still Kim tighter. And seeing she only had a few more feet to clear before her sprint to safety, Shego conjured up her last thread of energy and broke through the restraints.

I will SURVIVE.

~~~~0~~~~0~~~~0~~~~

The wailing of sirens pierced through the crisp, cool autumn air.

"Thank you for coming back- " Kim gasped for air like a fish out of water. Her chest felt like it was a cinderblock, dragging her 47 meters down to the ocean floor. Every time she inhaled, or tried to, it felt like she was choking and gagging on her own breath.

"Shut up… and let me fucking breathe for a second," Shego collapsed next to the doubled-over teen.

The stairs had led them to another hidden exit off to the side of the pet shop. They sat there supporting each other's weight, back to back, wheezing and coughing for the next few minutes. The sun was beating down on their burned, blistered skin, causing the pigment to redden more than it already has.

"I guess you could say we made it to hell and back," Shego coughed more strongly now that her body raced to heal itself.

Kim smiled and whispered as she finally found her voice, "You said I couldn't always be the hero… and you were right." She gently touched her head to Shego's. "Today, you were."

"Just because I saved your floppy ass doesn't make me a hero. I'm never becoming one either. I did it for the brownie points and bragging rights. I'm still a badass evil villainess- I just took pity on a dumb kid," Shego huffed in defense, crossing her arms like a child in timeout.

"Uh-huh."

Shego grinned. "Although, I think I did you quite a large favor by saving your life. You owe me big-time."

"I saved you from when DNAmy locked you up, yet you don't see me gloating or keeping tallies of favors," Kim rolled her eyes.

"Did you already forget that I just saved your dying ass from the fiery pits of hell?"

"Isn't my thanks and deep gratitude enough for you?" Kim countered.

"Nope."

"Figures. Fine, what do you want?" Kim asked as she stifled a massive yawn. She could already feel her glazed eyes droop lower the deeper she breathed.

"I'll tell you later when you're not about to slump over like a drunken person," Shego snorted and straightened her posture so Kim could lean on her better.

The two exhausted girls sat there in the dry grass together for another minute or so as they tried to refill their lungs with fresh air. Kim's foot was caked in blood and ash, so it was hard to determine what condition she was in and if she could walk.

It didn't look like either of them had the energy to stand up on their own anyway. Though sirens and barked orders rang in the background, it was strangely peaceful as they listened to each other's shaky breathing.

"Shego?" Kim asked softly. She reached into her pocket to find the tiny microchip was still in its pristine condition, unharmed by her half-burned clothes. Stashing it back inside, she made a mental note to send it to Wade to have it examined.

"Hm?" Shego tried to match each strengthening inhale and exhale with Kim.

"I just wanted to say that I-"

Frantic stomping sounded from around the building, and Ron suddenly appeared. "KP! Shego!"

The blonde boy saw the two girls and charged towards them like a stampeding rhino. Following closely behind him were Monique and Dr. Director.

"I can't believe these kids came here and almost got themselves killed. Shego really is a bad influence on everyone she's around," Dr. Director muttered to herself under her breath.

The Global Justice Agent was already on her phone, dishing out orders and announcing the recovery of Kim and Shego.

"KIM! YOU'RE ALIVE!" Ron exclaimed with tears building up in his eyes.

"Ron!" Kim called, her voice still low and raspy from all of the smoke inhalation.

He tried to tackle the still-weak redhead with a crushing bear hug, and he would've probably squeezed the life out of her if Shego didn't stop him with a piercing glare.

"Back up, Stoppable! Give her some space, she almost died for fuck's sake!" Shego snarled as Monique and Dr. Director rushed to meet them.

"Shego, I'm fine," Kim calmed. "Ron, I'll give you a hug as soon as I can stand up."

"Okay, that's a promise though," Ron teased.

"Of course, I always keep my promises."

"Girlfriends, you had me worried sick! Don't you ever try to pull a stunt like that again or else I'll seriously hurt you if you die-" Monique gasped and pointed at Kim's ash and blood-clumped, shoe-less foot. "Kim! Honey, what happened to your foot?!"

"Jeez, that looks pretty bad," Ron grimaced, finally noticing it too.

"Oh, it's not as bad as it looks," Kim reassured with an endearing smile.

"More like not as good as it looks," Shego chirped, not wanting to turn around to look. She'd already gotten a nice front-row view anyway. She hoped Kim's foot wasn't too badly injured and was still functional.

"Hey, it's still attached to my body, like all of my other limbs, so that's good enough for me," Kim smiled through her sweat. Frankly, she didn't even know herself what state her foot was in. Her body still felt numb and achy from the severe lack of oxygen from a few minutes earlier.

"Well, foot or no foot, I'm just so happy you're not dead," Ron grinned and wiped away a dirt smudge on his sooty face.

"Uh hello? I'm not dead either," Shego chimed irritatingly.

"Oh yeahhhh, less happy about that, but I guess you're still here too," Ron said dismissively.

"Hey, go easy on her. She just saved my life you know," Kim said.

"She did?!" Ron and Monique asked simultaneously. Even Dr. Director raised her eyebrow at that.

"I know what you two are thinking. I'm not a hero or any of that type of shit so stop thinking it!" Shego blurted out before Kim could answer.

"I'd think it was you who usually needs to be saved by KP," Ron answered.

"Excuse me?!" Shego squawked. "Listen up you little termite-"

"It doesn't matter who saved who. I'm just glad you're both still in one piece," Monique cut her off and exhaled a sigh of obvious relief.

Her thick, chocolate hair stuck up as if she were struck by lightning, and her face, much like Ron's, was dappled with soot and ash. Aside from dirt splatters and the pungent combination of wet pet food and melted plastic, Ron and Monique didn't look too hurt from Kim's perspective. She could only spot a few cuts and burns.

"Just barely, Mo," Kim attempted to laugh, but only getting as far as a sputter. "I'm glad you two are still in one piece as well."

"- thank you, oh and bring an extra stretcher," Dr. Director's gaze briefly shifted towards Shego from her walkie talkie. "- just in case."

"I'm not handicapped, Bets. I can walk just fine," Shego muttered under her short breath.

The leader of Global Justice flipped off her device and turned towards the two injured girls. She pretended like she didn't hear Shego's comment even though she very much had.

"I've just called for backup, my medical team is on their way to take you all to the hospital," Dr. Director informed, sweeping her gaze to land on the younger people around her. "Just hang tight, the ambulance should be here shortly."

"I'll just take a taxi. You can take these brats, but I don't need your dumb officers to help me," Shego scoffed exasperatedly. The large cut running down her forehead had started bleeding again, but the villainess didn't seem to notice, or mind, the steady stream of crimson trickling down her face.

"Shego, it'd be unwise to leave those wounds unchecked. They look pretty deep," Dr. Director said evenly.

"My body will heal itself in a few days with about 50 naps and 12 bottles of Advil," Shego waved her off.

"We're already going to the hospital, so you might as well get those cuts checked out. Don't want them to get infected," Kim murmured, shuddering slightly from the fresh memory.

"Pumpkin, I hate hospitals," Shego grumbled.

"I remember. You're okay with my mom treating you though, right?"

"I guess," Shego shrugged.

"Maybe we could go to the hospital my mom works at-" Kim suggested.

"I've already arranged to have us meet up with both of your parents there, Kim. I called them as soon as my team and I had controlled the fire Ron and Monique started," Dr. Director nodded at the steamy pet shop that looked to be in ruins.

"You guys started a fire too?" Kim asked, eyeing her best friends with a mirthful smile.

"On accident with Rufus's help of course," Ron replied cheekily.

"Stoppable actually did something useful? I think there still might be some smoke and toxic waste clogging my rationality. I'm hallucinating," Shego commented sardonically.

"Toxic waste?" Dr. Director rubbed her eye tiredly and sighed, "Shego, back up a few steps. So let me get this straight-"

"Betty, the only straight I am is straight from hell," Shego retorted.

"Shego now's not the time for queer puns," Kim shook her head with dry amusement.

"There's never not a time for queer puns, Princess," Shego said, admittedly feeling a little light-headed and dizzy. Maybe it would help to get her head checked out at the ER; she wanted to make sure she didn't lose too many brain cells from all of the radioactive fumes and smoke she'd inhaled.

The brunette snorted, expecting the typical sardonic response from Shego. "You can tell me your story once we get you treated and rested."

"That sounded like an order," Shego remarked.

"It was."

"Bitch move," Shego commented. "Anyways where's litter box 1 and 2? Oh and the other silly bitch?"

"Who?" Dr. Director asked, utterly confused.

"Lucifer, the giant scorpion tiger hybrid. And Cheshire, the now-big black shark cat hybrid. Oh and DNAmy," Kim translated.

"Cheshire was sent to the nearest veterinary clinic to get his leg treated. And DNAmy has been taken into custody along with her staff and anyone affiliated under her name or phony pet shop. She was unconscious when the tiger- I mean- Lucifer, brought her to Ron and Monique. So we will begin questioning her motives after she's been treated for her wounds," Dr. Director reported.

"I can't believe my tax money is being used for the drugs healing that psychopath," Shego huffed.

"Lucifer recognized me and Ron so we were the only ones who could tame him. He really scared all of the agents and staff up here," Monique smiled.

"I think he was more scared of Global Justice than they were of him," Ron added with a matching grin.

"Where is he now?" Shego demanded.

Ron frowned. "Last I saw he was playing with Rufus in the field over-"

As if summoned, a massive ball of fur crashed through the bracken and charged towards Shego. Ron shrieked and rolled out of the way, covering his face and neck on instinct.

"There's your giant kitty, Shego!" Monique laughed and wisely hopped back to clear a path.

Dr. Director screamed and narrowly jumped out of the deadly scorpion tiger's way as he barreled to a skidding halt.

A tiny naked mole-rat popped up from the top of Lucifer's head, and he scurried down as soon as he saw Kim.

"KP!" Rufus squeaked and fell into her lap to give her a hug.

"Aw, Rufus! I wanted to do that!" Ron pouted, crossing his arms over his chest to give himself a hug. The bubbly rodent scampered back to his owner and hugged him as well.

"Litter box! You're not dead!" Shego exclaimed gleefully and reached her hand out to touch the gentle beast.

Lucifer collapsed onto the prickly grass and rested his globe-like head on Shego's lap. He didn't even acknowledge anyone other than the superpowered thief. No one else mattered to him. He had obviously forgotten all about Shego hitting him earlier, which she still deeply regretted.

He rasped his sandy tongue over a large cut on the villainess's exposed thigh, cleaning away all the oozing blood and dirt around the gash. Lucifer tried to lick away the blood stained on Shego's face, but she hastily pushed his head away before she was covered in drool.

The mutant big cat's golden fur coat was now an ashen gray, causing his black stripes to meld with his main color. His sleek scorpion tail shone under the sun's rays, reflecting the warm hues off its inky-maroon exterior. There were some parts of his large body where the fur had been burned off, leaving behind rosy patches of skin.

As Shego stroked away the bits of debris tangled up in his long, striped fur, Lucifer immediately felt his dark green eyes droop. And it wasn't long before he was snoring into the young woman's flat stomach.

"He really likes you," Dr. Director gaped at the dozing creature who was just recently roaring and lashing at her officers.

"He's just a big dumb softie who seriously needs a bath," Shego replied disinterestedly. She didn't stop petting him though. "A ton of his fur burned in the fire so he smells like barbecue right now. And it is not appetizing in the slightest."

"Oh!" Kim suddenly remembered something. "Wade was leading us out until I dropped my Kimmunicator into the fire. It burned before I could memorize our exit route."

"Princess here would've walked straight into the flames if I hadn't stopped her," Shego snorted disbelievingly.

"Aha, anyways Ron, could you please let Wade know that Shego and I made it out? And that we're all safe and heading to a hospital?" Kim requested.

"On it, KP," Ron gave a thumbs-up and pulled out his own Kimmunicator.

"Spankin', you're the best Ron."

Wade was beyond relieved to see that Kim and Shego had made it out alive. After talking to the computer genius for another minute or so, Kim felt the weight of what just happened crash into her. It was barely noon, yet she felt like she had just pulled an all-nighter and then ran a marathon. Shego shared her fatigue.

"Everyone. Medics are here and- Kim?" Dr. Director asked softly, noticing the teen hero was spacing out a bit. "Are you okay?"

The redhead had her eyes half-closed as she stared distantly at the incoming medics and Global Justice officers. They were rushing towards the small group with stretchers and nurses ready. Sirens, the clatter of medical supplies, and the thundering of boots filled her eardrums so that she could barely hear her own thoughts. Lucifer remained sound asleep through it all, calmed by Shego's therapeutic petting.

Kim leaned farther back against Shego, letting all of her weight slump onto the villainess, who without complaint, supported all of her weight.

"Kim. What happened down there?!" Will, who was leading the pack, commanded with a slight growl to his voice.

Kim flitted her gaze to look up at her friends and the crowd of Global Justice agents, taking a deep breath that her lungs very much appreciated.

She smiled softly from the soft thumps of Shego's strong heartbeat behind her. It was steady and made her own heart beat a little louder.

"Something unforgettable."

~~~~0~~~~0~~~~0~~~~

To be continued…

Stay tuned for Arc 2 of this story!

Please review!

Your feedback helps keep the story going! :)

Author's notes: Wow, ok. I have a lot to say so bear with me.

I finally got an Instagram where I post all of my art! Follow me there and say hello!: iycewing

I want to thank every single one of my readers for reading the first arc of my first multi-arc story! Like I said before, I'm not experienced in the slightest at writing fanfics, so it means the world to me that y'all are putting up with my inconsistencies and writing flaws. A big shoutout to my friend, Cynder, who's been helping shape this story; I love ya and thanks so much for all you've done with this first edition.

Please please please keep reviewing and let me know what you think of the story so far! The more feedback and reviews I get, the faster the Arc 2 will get out :0

The next arc will hopefully clear up any loose ends and unanswered questions so don't fret! Thank you all for reading, and stay tuned for the continuation of this story! :)