Disclaimer: This story is based upon characters created by Bob Schooley and Mark McCorkle for Disney. Since this story is set 25 years later, all the characters under twenty-five years of age are mine.
The young agent shook their hands after they climbed down the rope ladder from the aircraft. "So you're the director's kids. I hear you work well together."
"Thanks, I'm Anne Stoppable and this is my brother, Don"
"I'm Florence Ming. Call me Flo."
"Ming?" said Don, confused. "You don't look Chinese."
"I was adopted," Flo's eyebrows furrowed. "So which one of you is the distraction?" she asked looking at Don.
"We take turns" Anne cut in.
"You're probably thinking of our parents" Don smiled sheepishly. "So how did you get here?"
The beach was small and isolated, accessible only by boat or air. Their airship was just leaving without even touching down, and no boat was in sight.
"I'll show you." she stepped between them and offered each of them a hand. "Hold on tight, this elevator's a little rough".
They each held one of her hands as air around them all started to take on a pink hue. Anne was just starting to wonder what sort of atmospheric phenomena could cause it when she realized that the three of them were glowing.
"Whoa, I'm pink!" shouted Don, sounding shocked as they all began to rise into the air. "But I'm flying!" he continued happily.
Bill squealed happily as well.
Anne unsuccessfully tried not to chew her lower lip as she watched the beach sink away and the cliff side drift closer.
"Keep your hands and feet in close until the ride has come to a complete stop." said Flo as they rose toward an outcropping in the mountain.
The three then flew into a cave that went up like a chimney with a closed top. The twins each tightened their grip on their new friend's hand in the darkness, which was softened only slightly by the pink glow.
The cave bent until it was horizontal which was only revealed because of some light coming from somewhere down the horizontal portion.
Flo set them all down on the floor where it leveled out. Artificial lighting was visible ahead.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Don asked as the glow faded away.
Flo blushed; "It's a gift." she shrugged.
"You mean it's natural?" asked Anne eyes wide.
"For me, anyway," smiled Flo. "Been doing it since I was little." She led them further in where the lighting was brighter. "Here's where you all do your part."
The twins looked at a large vault door. "I don't suppose you have the combination," quipped Anne.
Flo shook her head.
"That would be easy," frowned Don.
Anne took out a flashlight and examined the door carefully. "Uh oh"
"I don't care much for that word, Anne," said Don.
Anne sighed, "If the wrong combination is entered it will release a gas into this chamber."
"What kind of gas?" asked Flo.
"I can't tell." said Anne.
"So it could be anything?" Don exclaimed. "Not fair!"
Bill grunted a negative from Don's pocket.
"Hey, Bill" called Anne.
The mole rat jumped out of Don's pocket and ran over to Anne, then quickly climbed up her clothes to her shoulder.
"Do you see that tunnel through there?" Anne pointed at a section of the gear work.
Bill grunt-squealed something and nodded.
"If you look inside," she shined the flashlight into the mechanism, "you will see a hammer and some glass vials".
Bill had by this time positioned himself to look down the tunnel at his task.
"You think you can disengage the hammer without breaking anything else?"
Bill stood up straight and saluted Anne.
Flo turned to Don, "I didn't know naked mole rats were so smart."
"Most aren't," Don admitted proudly.
An odd sound came from inside the vault lock. "Bill? Are you OK?" Anne called into the gears.
After a few seconds she called again, "Bill!"
Bill crawled out with a tired look on his face.
"Oh, Billy," Anne extended a hand and Bill promptly fell into it.
Don rushed over and took the exhausted rodent while Anne shined the flashlight into the mechanism again.
"He did it!" she cried. Wasting no time, she plugged her handheld into the door's interface and ran a number generating program.
The door opened a moment later.
Special thanks to my children, Kathleen and James for some of the ideas used in this story.