DISCAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF THE SECOND DIMENSION. THE STORY LINE YES, THEIR PERSONALITIES MAYBE, BUT THE CHARACTERS ARE FULLY AND 100% UNDER THE OWNERSHIP OF DISNEY.
Whatever she had been expecting when she chased after her mother, it was not this. It was like...her parents had been replaced...by scary, cool, yet totally different people. There had to be at least ten robots firing lasers at them, but...they kept missing, while her parents fought back. Her mother was using a fire poker like a fencing sword to deflect blows while at the same time, was forced into a deadly dance for survival. One step wrong, and she would be succumbing to the intense heat of a laser.
Meanwhile, her father was using two swords to slice the robots and deflect the lasers he couldn't dodge. The girl backed up and turned to hide to behind what remained of the hallway wall and hide her face in her hands. She recognized those swords, she had seen them hanging above the fireplace night after night. Her father had told her that his father had given them to him before he died, as did his father and so on.
And now, those swords were being used as defense. Her parents were fighters, unstoppable. And she was just a little girl.
Slowly, she lifted her face out of her hands a little and spied a brick. It must have been knocked out of the wall when the robots first attacked and now...it just sat there, small and insignificant.
She smiled. She had an idea...
They had been walking for about five minutes, Stacy behind Albert. When they reached a big metallic door, she frowned. She had suspected that something was up when she found herself walking down an unfamiliar path. The metal door confirmed it. She did not know this entrance.
And to be honest, this annoyed her a little.
She was second-in-command of perhaps the largest and longest lasting resistance in the TriDoof-State-Area. She was supposed to know every exit and entrance to headquarters not only for her job but as a necessity. She lived down here, so, why didn't she know this one?
Stacy watched Albert suspiciously as he stopped in front of the door and typed something into a keypad.
"Albert, how do you know about this passageway?"
Silence met her words. "Albert" she growled in her best Candace imitation, making him flinch slightly. He stopped and gave her an irritated look.
"Was that necessary?"
"Yes, yes it was."
He sighed before resuming his pace, Stacy close at his heels. "I know this passageway...because I built it."
At those words, Stacy stumbled a little and stared at him. He built this? When? If he wasn't on a mission or training for the resistance he was at school or salvaging the streets for things to sell for food. When did he ever have time to make a tunnel?
Before Stacy could attempt to barrage him with questions, they were at another door. It seemed smaller than the first, but maybe because it was wooden and a bit shabby. When he opened it, there was a creak.
Just as she was about to fallow him, he spun around quickly and pushed her back a little.
"You'll have to give me a minute okay? This place is a bit dirty, and well, not quite up to military standards. So, uh, just wait out here for a minute, kay? Thanks."
And then he closed the door. In her face. She would have opened the door and reminded him they were on a tight schedule, but she had heard a lock click.
So she did the only thing she could do: lean against the wall facing the door and lament over the fact that she couldn't bring her swords to school. Because right now, she wished she had them to break down the stupid door.
After a couple of minutes had passed, the door opened again and Albert was grinning brightly at her. The first thing she noticed was that his hair was poofy again and that he wasn't wearing his glasses. The second thing she noticed was that he was dressed in his resistance clothing.
"Told you it'd only be a minute. Now let's get going, don't want to be too terribly late."
Stacy raised an eyebrow. "You also said that you were tidying up the room."
"And so I did. Now come on, the door's not going to turn into a Normbot or something."
Stacy smiled a little as she walked after him. As she went past the door, she gave the room a quick glance. It had a small sink, and in it lay a towel. On the floor was a pile of clothing. For some reason, Stacy felt her face warm a little at the sight of the clothes.
Pushing the feelings and thoughts rising in her mind away, she walked a little faster out of the room.
Once they were both in a main hallway, they ran. Stacy following Albert. She figured that if he built that passage and used it as often she figured he did, then he should know how to get to the main assembly room in the quickest amount of time.
When they finally reached the designated room, Stacy was relieved that they weren't the only ones still filing in.
Looking around, she noticed that the people assembled were mainly young adults and some teenagers. The elite fighters and commanding officers in the area. She also noticed a young girl with long black hair wearing a beret with a small green bow attached to it. She couldn't be older than nine...yet here she was.
Before she could point the kid out to Albert, her attention (and everyone else's) was drawn towards the small platform in the back of the room as Candace walked up it. Following behind her was a small boy with light brown skin wearing a tanish lab coat with gadgets in the pockets and hair that could only be described as a triangular afro.
When she reached the center of the platform, Candace turned and faced the crowd. She was wearing her uniform and sunglasses as well.
Then, Candace did something unexpected and semi-frightening. She smiled.
"Troops, today, we have placed a blow to Doofensmirtz's power and have taken one step closer towards freedom." She began confidently.
"This morning, I placed a bug on his intelligence Carl Karl. Even as I speak, we are receiving Intel alerting us to his plans and potential weaknesses.
"How did I accomplish this? Simple, I used nanites that Baljeet created and placed them on a paper that I gave directly to Karl."+
In the audience, Stacy blinked.
"Nanites huh? Guess that means she didn't lose her marbles this morning…" she whispered to Albert.
"…Why didn't you ever think of using Nanites?"
"Because unlike that little git up there, I made sure I knew how to fight as well as come up with decent gadgets instead of just focusing on having some weird hairstyle."
Stacy smirked a little before returning her attention back up to Candace. She wouldn't be surprised if Albert was focusing on glaring at Baljeet instead of paying attention, it confused her a little why he cared so much about what the child genius did, after all, Albert had given up the position so Baljeet could have it…then again, it was Albert. He rarely made sense when it came to science-y stuff.
"Based on the data we have collected so far, we have discovered the location of Doofensmirtz's next attack of terror. I am compiling a list of potential soldiers to take. When I have more information on the attack, I will let those chosen know in due time to allow for preparation. Dismissed"
And with those words, the assembled group began to disperse through the various doors as they returned to whatever they had been doing before the summons.
It was during this time, that Stacy saw Albert stiffen a little. Her first instinct was to look up to the platform where Candace and Baljeet had been standing only to see the two of them walking down the stairs.
So what had disturbed him?
Glancing back, she saw to her shock Albert furiously marching towards Candace with a grim expression on his face.
Worried where this might be headed, Stacy hurried after him. Whatever was going through his head could only mean trouble.
It took her a little while, but when she finally caught up to him, Albert had caught up to Candace and was glaring daggers at her.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Albert's eyes narrowed, "To put it in terms for you to understand Sir, I saw a young girl in the assembly. An assembly meant for leaders of specific units. Units that usually partipate in life or death situations."
"So? Garcia-Shirpo shows promise and I think she'll make a fine commanding officer for her unit."
Albert closed his eyes as his fists clenched slightly. "She's only nine-years old. The same age as your brothers."
Candace shrugged. "And the same age as your brother if I remember correctly. If you have a problem about age, you could always enroll him in the resistance...besides, if I remember correctly, weren't you the one in charge of training her and the rest of her unit?"
Taking Albert's silence as a confirmation, Candace smirked and continued on her way. Baljeet followed her, tossing a gleeful sneer in Albert's direction as he ran to keep up.
Stacy stood staring at Albert before slowly walking up to him.
"If you trained them, then you shouldn't worry too much...I mean..." her voice trailed off at the tired look on his face. It made him look a lot older than fourteen.
"She's right..." he sighed."I trained them...but I didn't think she'd put them out on the field until they were at least a little older...I-I'm not a hypocrite, am I Stace?"
"A hypo-what?"
Albert gave her a small smile. "Hypocrite. It means someone who says they hate something but do it anyway. For example, I hate the fact that Candace refuses to let her little brothers join because they're too young...and I won't let Irving join...yet I train kids their age..."
"So why don't you let Irving join? It would make you feel less like a hypocrite..."
"Because the idiot would get himself killed. I've tried teaching him a little self-defense, but he's too busy stalking rocks."
Stacy stared at him. "Your brother...stalks...rocks...?"
Albert sighed and looked upwards. "I honestly have no idea why he stalks rocks...or how or why he thinks they can move..."
Giving a small shake of his head, he gave her another smile. "Thanks for listening; I probably sound a tad mental. Anyways, I'm going to go see if I can find Isabella before she goes home. I need to discuss with her something along the lines about her becoming a commander at such a young age..."
And with those words, Albert turned and headed back the way they came. Stacy didn't bother following him. He could be pretty darn fast when he wanted to be. Instead, she headed towards her quarters. She wanted to get out of the regulation civilian shoes as fast as possible; it felt like she was losing circulation in her feet.
A/N: And here's another chapter...this took forever to get out. I blame college, and homework, and and that's about it.
About their ages, I figure (for this story at least) Albert and Candace are both about a year older than Stacy. That or her birthday's really late in the school year. *shrugs*
Also, I'm really hoping that I didn't go on too long, or that the characters are becoming Mary Sues...I read a thing about how to requinze a Mary Sue...and well I feel Stacy has a couple similarities...):
So till next time, enjoy and leave reviews...they sure do motivate a person. :D