Chapter 3: Changes
Another Dimension, Three years ago
"I trust you understand the importance of this mission?" The aged voice echoed through the bare room, it's elegant Spanish accent emphasizing the question. In the center of the room stood a young man with slicked black hair and a determined look in his eyes. He nodded to the older man. "Good. In that case, you have authority to use any equipment or forces you deem necessary. Good luck on your mission, agent. Do not return without the desired results." The older man saluted the other.
"Understood, General Senior." The young man returned the salute with a hand that was completely encased in a metal glove before turning and leaving the room.
"Yello?" Ron Stoppable answered the phone, dropping his school bag. "Hey Kim! How's it going?" He smiled to himself. The two thirteen year olds had been going out for only two months and they couldn't get enough of one another. He had been planning on calling her the second he had walked through the door, but she had apparently beat him to it. They were planning on meeting up later that night to celebrate their two-month anniversary, and he had forbid her from making any of the plans. He knew it was tearing her apart inside, not being in control of their date, but that was part of why he was doing it. Ron sat at the kitchen table talking happily with Kim.
Suddenly, his parents walked into the kitchen, talking intensely about something. "Hey mom, hey dad! How's it going?" He looked up at his parents who looked uncertainly at one another, then back at Ron. They seemed tense. 'Maybe something bad happened at work today?' Ron thought to himself. Ron wasn't totally sure what his mom did for a living, whatever it was she traveled a lot, and was gone for weeks at a time sometimes. He knew his father was an actuary, though he had no idea what that entailed. Whenever he asked his father he would just get the vague response that it had to do with insurance, and he didn't need to know everything he did. Ron watched his parents sit across from him, and his smile faltered at the serious look on their faces. "What's work…?" His question was interrupted by a loud 'bang!' from the front door. Ron jumped up from his seat; barely hearing Kim's question, "What was that?" as he spun to face the front door, dropping the phone. His parent jumped up as well, and his mother produced a knife from her hip, a grave look in her eyes.
"Maybe you should go now Ron." Ron looked back at his father in confusion. With a second 'bang!' the door flew open, spilling several armed men into their living room. Ron watched as his parents slowly walked into the living room, his father drawing a knife of his own as he walked. Ron began to follow them but the sound of the guns being cocked held him back. Suddenly, without warning his father flung his knife at a soldier who was just walking through the door. Ron watched the blade sail through the air before planting itself between the soldier's eyes, causing him to fall backwards, revealing a young man standing behind him.
"Never send a man to do my job." The young man stepped over the fallen soldier, pulling the blade from his head as he went. "John and Mary Stoppable, under the personal authority of these United States, you are under arrest for high treason!" At this, Ron's mother flung her blade at the young man. Moments before the blade hit him he snatched it out of the air. He held it next to him, his hand seemingly encased in metal. "Am I to take this to mean that you will be resisting arrest?" He smiled wickedly as he flipped the dagger idly in his metal hand.
"You know we didn't do it, Du!" spat his mother, who glared at Agent Du hatefully. "But I'm sure you don't care, do you?"
"Well now, that's not entirely true Mary." Will Du looked into the eyes of Ron's mother. "I'm always disappointed when agents of your caliber play turncoat and sell out your own country." He chuckled to himself and looked at Ron. "Surely you wouldn't want your son to follow your example?"
"Leave Ron out of this!" Mr. Stoppable yelled, looking from the agent to glancing over his shoulder at Ron, standing in the doorway. With a last cry of "Run, son!" His father lifted the back of his shirt slightly, revealing a pistol. Shots rang out as the soldiers in the room opened fire, and Ron dove behind the wall, huddling into a ball in the corner. He had been on a few missions with Kim, but no one there had ever used guns, and Kim had generally done most of the work. Suddenly Ron realized the other room was silent again, and he slowly crept to the door, peering inside his living room. He gasped at the scene before him. His parents lay in the center of the room, blood leaking into the white carpet, turning it slowly red. The soldiers stood back as Agent Will Du advanced slowly, an impassive look on his face.
"Fortunately I was just told to bring you to the general." Agent Du knelt next to the bodies of Ron's parents. "It wasn't specified that you be alive at the time." His face broke into a small smile as he threw the two daggers in his hands to the floor next to the bodies. He stood up and began walking towards the door. "Kill the boy, and bring the bodies. The general will want proof that they are dead, so I'll give it to them." He stepped through the door towards a helicopter that had landed outside. "Don't be long." The helicopter slowly took off, carrying agent Du away with it.
Ron had crept into his living room, and now knelt next to the daggers his parents had used, looking down at the bodies in the center of the room. Despair washed over him. He wanted to cry but he couldn't. Another emotion was beginning to register in his subconscious and he was giving himself over to it. The soldiers in the room reloaded their weapons. Ron heard the sounds and slowly stood, a knife in each hand. The blood pounded in his ears, drowning out any further sound. He shook with fury, looking through narrowed eyes at each of the soldiers, one after another. The five soldiers stood aiming their weapons at the trembling teenager in the center of the room.
"Drop your weapons, and reach for the sky!" Ron turned to look at the soldier who had spoken. His face had become calm, his shaking stopped. Only the glint of fury in his eyes betrayed his true emotions.
"Why?" Ron asked calmly, staring at the soldiers, one after another. "So you can kill me?" His voice became more heated as he spoke, and he took a step towards the soldier who had spoken. "Is that your plan? So you can kill me like you KILLED MY FAMILY?" Ron charged at the soldier, and the sound of gunfire once again filled the room, this time punctuated by screams of rage and pain.
Kim's mother swung her car around the corner, bringing them within view of the Stoppable house. Mrs. Possible had never seen her daughter so upset. Kim had been almost frantic when she had run to her, saying that something was wrong at Ron's house. She had dragged her mother to the car, leaving Mrs. Possible just enough time to tell her husband that they would be back soon. They had then sped down the street towards Ron's house, worry written all over Kim's face.
Kim had heard the door to Ron's house being kicked in. Had heard what sounded like yelling, and the sounds of gunfire before she had finally dragged her mother to the car to drive her to Ron's. She felt sick with worry, her heart pounded with fear as they pulled into Ron's driveway, stopping behind the car already parked there. Everything looked so...peaceful. Kim jumped from her mother's car and bolted for the front door. The door hung pathetically on it's hinges, and when she put her hand on the handle, it gave a final creak before falling loudly off the frame, and landing with a small splash on the carpet. Kim stepped slowly into the Stoppable living room.
It was gruesome. The once-white carpet had been stained almost completely red. Splashes of red were visible on the walls, forming small trails that led back to the carpet. Bodies littered the room, some missing arms, or legs, but all with long gashes which oozed blood. In the center of the room lay Ron's parents, their bodies stained red where they touched the carpet. Kim stepped further into the room, stopping only when she heard a small sound. She turned slowly to look at the chair that sat in the corner and gasped, bringing her hand to her mouth. Ron stood in the corner, shaking and glaring at the new arrival through narrowed eyes. He clutched daggers in hands that were stained completely red with blood. He had several bullet wounds, allowing his blood to mingle with the blood of those he had killed. His hair, once blonde was stained red and slicked back with blood.
Ron glared at the newcomer with hatred. His vision had long ago glazed over, and he could no longer make out specific objects. Blood pounded in his ears. His whole body shook with a primal rage as he stepped towards the newcomer, raising his weapons to bear on them. He saw the figure step back, raising its hands to defend itself. He continued forward, stalking his prey. The figure suddenly slipped and crashed to the ground with a sickening squelch. He jumped towards it, landing on the prone figure, a knife on either side of its head. He paused. He could barely make out the flowing red hair of the figure below him. It wasn't blood…. Why was it so familiar? "Red…" His vision began to clear and his eyes focused on the face of Kim Possible, trembling with fear beneath him, her hands trying to push him off. He dropped his weapons and jumped off of her, moving as far away as possible. "Kim…. I…." He muttered, not looking at her.
Mrs. Possible stepped through the door, holding a lamp that had been laying on the step outside. She had taken in the situation and had been about to stop the creature that had been on her daughter before Ron had finally come to his senses. She dropped the lamp and reached down to help her daughter up from the floor, her back now stained red. The second Kim was on her feet she rushed to the boy who huddled in the corner, kneeling and turning him forcefully to face her. Tears flowed down his cheeks, and she held him tightly to her, whispering assurances. Neither one knew how long they stayed like that before Mrs. Possible pulled them apart, examining the crying boy's injuries. He had suffered several bullet wounds, and needed medical attention quickly. She turned and looked at the bodies of the soldiers in the room, wondering if they had backup. Her eyes finally came to rest on the bodies of the Stoppables, who looked almost peaceful in the carnage that surrounded them. She said a silent prayer for fallen friends and turned back to the two teenagers who sat nearby.
"We should go…" Mrs. Possible put a soothing hand on Ron's shoulder as his eyes glanced back to the bodies of his parents, more tears rolling down his face. "Do you know if there are more of those soldiers around?" She looked into the boys troubled eyes with worry. He shook his head slightly, his eyes looking around the room and taking in the carnage that filled it before looking up at Mrs. Possible.
"I…I did…" He began, his eyes going from the soldiers who lay scattered around the room to Mrs. Possible. She knelt in front of him, a strange look on her face as she reached out and put her hand under his chin.
"It's okay." She said soothingly to the now frightened teenager before him. Her daughter reached out and put an arm protectively over his shoulder, a worried look on her face. "You can tell us what happened later. Right now you need medical attention." She slowly got him to his feet, Kim helping to support him as his legs wobbled uncertainly. Together they slowly made their way out the door before Ron stopped them.
"Wait! I… I want the knives." Mrs. Possible looked down at the boy, the shock apparent on her face. "They were my parent's knives! They used them to try to save my life…." His voice cracked and Mrs. Possible finally relented. She returned and slowly picked up the two knives, wrapping them in a piece of cloth and sticking them in her pocket. Suddenly noise filled the area. She spun and ran out the door in time to see a helicopter land in the yard in front of the two figures that swayed uncertainly in the yard. Several soldiers jumped off the helicopter before a figure with slicked back black hair and a metal hand jumped onto the grass, facing Ron.
"I must say, I'm rather surprised to see you standing here young Stoppable." The man stepped in front of the soldiers and stopped several feet back from the teens in front of him. "I guess I shall have to have a word with my men. They didn't finish their job. Hello, Dr. Possible." He fixed Mrs. Possible in a gaze that stopped her has she looked in confusion back at the young man.
"I'm afraid you won't be able to tell those men anything, Du" Ron spat, the hatred returning to his eyes. He let go of Kim and stepped forward, shielding her from the soldiers. "I'm afraid your soldiers couldn't handle me." He voice was impassive as he took another step towards Agent Du; the soldiers behind him tensed and raised their weapons. Mrs. Possible's mind raced as she tried to think of a way out of this. She had to get Ron to a hospital, but these people clearly weren't going to let her take him without trouble. She stepped back into the house. Ron stopped inches from Will Du, his eyes bored into his, the fury in them washing over the agent as he looked curiously at the boy in front of him. "The next time I see you," Ron's voice had been so quiet it could have been mistaken for the wind. Will Du strained to hear him. "I'm going to put one of those daggers right here." His finger connected lightly with Du's forehead, leaving a small red blood spot just above his eyes. "The other one," he continued, maintaining eye contact with the agent in front of him. "Will go HERE!" Ron jammed his palm into the other man's chest, causing him to stumble back, a red palm print over his heart. Will Du stumbled back as gunfire filled the area. He saw the two teens drop and turned to look at his soldiers. Confusion contorted his features as they fell, one after another. He looked at the house and saw Mrs. Possible firing on her soldiers, back braced against the wall of the house. The two teens lay huddled together, their arms covering their heads as Mrs. Possible stopped firing and ran towards Will Du, jamming the gun into his gut, causing him to double over, before he brought the gun down on his skull, causing him to collapse in a heap.
"No one messes with my daughter." She dropped the gun on him and turned to help her daughter and her boyfriend up off the ground. "Kim, I think you had better get in touch with your friend Wade." Mrs. Possible looked at her daughter, worry etched in her face. "I don't think it'll be safe around here for any of us anymore."