Disclaimer: I do not own Kim Possible. It belongs to Disney and its creators. If it was in the show, I don't own it. Any songs mentioned are the property of their respective owners and artists. I am not doing this for compensation, simply for enjoyment and practice.
Claimer: Krista Ruthie Stoppable is my OC. If you want to use her, please ask. Krysta-L (aka Krystal) was created by StormChaser90 and used with permission. If you want to use her, please contact him for permission.
After All This Time: Revenge
Chapter 3
Stoppable Home, Middleton, Colorado
The doorbell rang, and Kim opened the front door.
"Hi, Kim," greeted her guest. Adrena Lynn stepped into foyer, shrugging off her coat as she did so.
"Hey. Krista is so excited to see you," Kim replied, leading the blonde down the hall to the kitchen, where Krista was finishing her homework with her father (even Ron could help with fifth grade math… kind of).
"How's she doing?" Adrena asked, a note of concern in her voice.
Kim stopped before coming into earshot of the kitchen, turning to face her former foe. "She's doing okay. Every day she seems to get a little better, a little more confident, but she's still having these horrible nightmares that keep her up a few times a week."
Sympathy outfitted Adrena's face. "After all she went through, who wouldn't have nightmares?"
Continuing the trek to the kitchen, Kim called out, "Krista! Someone's here to see you!"
Krista's face lit up in a rare smile as Adrena Lynn rounded the corner. She hopped up, running to the woman to give her one of her even-rarer hugs. "Miss Lynn!"
"Hey, kiddo! I've missed you," Adrena said as she returned the hug. "How are you?"
"I'm good. I'm taking dance classes. And Mom is teaching me some self-defense moves." Krista was nearly bouncing on her toes as she spoke excitedly to her friend. No one could pull her out of her shell as much as Adrena Lynn could.
The older blonde smiled and ruffled Krista's hair. "Well, you certainly have the best teacher for that. I bet you're learning a lot."
Krista nodded, then began pulling Adrena Lynn towards the living room. "Come on, I want to show you what I've been learning." Adrena laughed as she let the 11-year-old tug her away.
Kim and Ron hung back. They were smiling, but a flicker of pain passed over their faces. They were relieved that these moments could allow Krista to be truly happy and care-free, if only for a little while, but it stung that Adrena Lynn was the one to elicit her giddy mood. They were her parents, after all. Shouldn't they be able to help her forget her past and be a kid, too?
They never let themselves dwell on these thoughts for long. Krista knew Adrena longer, that was all. In time, she would get just as comfortable around them. They had to believe that.
They joined Adrena and Krista in the living room just as Krista was thrusting the heel of her hand up to mimic breaking her attacker's nose.
"Very nice, Krista. It's good to know you've been paying attention," Adrena joked.
"Krista, why don't you go wash up and set the table for us? Miss Lynn is staying for dinner," Kim said. Krista rushed out of the room, wanting to hurry up so she could spend more time with Miss Lynn. As soon as their daughter was out of earshot, Kim and Ron turned to Adrena.
"Any update on the trial?" Adrena asked, her voice low.
Kim shook her head. "It kills me they haven't sentenced them yet. They must have a phenomenal lawyer. We have another court date in about 6 weeks."
Adrena sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. When she offered to pay for her sister's lawyer, she had no clue that they were going to hire the infamous Hank Perkins, who had defended the likes of Dr. Dementor and Duff Killigan. Once she found out, she rescinded her offer. She wouldn't be responsible for helping the Moores get off easily, which she knew was a possibility with Perkins as their lawyer. Although there was little chance of them being declared not guilty, there was a big chance of leniency. Perkins was good.
"Well, let's hope this is it," Adrena said. A blonde blur caught their eye as Krista ran back in.
"What's for dinner, Dad?" she asked eagerly. One thing she had learned quickly: her father was a fantastic cook. Her mother… not so much.
"Hey," Kim pouted playfully. "What makes you think I didn't cook?"
Krista froze, giving her mother a sheepish, guilty look. "I… uh…"
Kim laughed. "I'm just teasing you."
"To answer your question," Ron broke in, "It's Mexican night at the Stoppable household. We are having my world-famous homemade… Nacos!" Ron posed dramatically, eliciting a giggle from his daughter.
Adrena Lynn stayed for dinner and dessert, during which time Krista barely stopped talking. It was amazing, really, the calming, confident effect Adrena had on her. When she visited, Kim and Ron heard their daughter talk and saw her smile more than they ever had. Again, a pang of jealously stabbed them, but they pushed it aside, ignoring it, focusing instead on their daughter's progress. These visits were a type of therapy for her, recommended by her psychiatrist, though they knew Adrena would visit even without the recommendation. They allowed Krista to help mend the wounds between her past and present by associating the only positive thing from her old life with her knew one.
It was too soon when Adrena had to leave. There were always tears from Krista, which were relieved a bit by another promise to visit soon. With the happy memories of the day fresh in her mind, the nightmares were kept away, if only for the night.
XXXXXXXXXX
3 Weeks Later
Conference Room, Site Beta, Location Classified
The room was filled with tension, muffled conversations drifting among the staff members. They had been called from their posts to an urgent debriefing session. Dr. Henderson stood at the head of the table, leafing through his notes. He cleared his throat, voices sporadically dying out as the group turned to face their leader. "Thank you for coming. We have an update on Prototype L's training." The staff members seemed to collectively hold their breath, the room growing eerily silent and still.
"Everything looks good," Henderson continued. "Fukushima has assured me she has nearly mastered 7 styles of kung-fu, her healing abilities, and her Mystical Monkey Power. She is able to follow orders to the T and analyze nearly any situation for the best and most efficient course of action." He put down the file, sweeping his eyes around the table. "Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe Prototype L is ready for auction."
Relieved sighs echoed throughout the room. It had been a long eleven months. Krystal's training had taken three times longer than anyone had anticipated. But the time had finally come to reap the rewards of their labor.
Henderson continued once the murmurs of approval had died down. "I do have one suggestion, however, before we hold the auction. I propose we send her out on a trial mission – put her abilities to the test in the field, so to speak."
Nods of agreement came from several of the other scientists. One, a Russian woman named Dr. Petrov, raised her hand before speaking. "Do you have a mission in mind, sir?"
Henderson smiled, anticipating the question. "Why, yes, I do. I believe it is quite unfair that our benefactors have not been able to oversee the progress of their commissioned project, don't you agree?"
Several of the scientists exchanged confused glances, unsure where Dr. Henderson was going. He stood, clasping his hands behind his back, allowing the suspense to build a bit more before elaborating.
"My friends, Krystal's first mission will be to break Thomas and Andrea Moore out of prison."
XXXXXXXXXX
Remote Island Base, the Caribbean
Dr. Drakken paced the length of the lair, hands clasped behind his back and shoulders hunched in frustration. His loyal sidekick, Shego, followed his movements with her eyes as she filed the metal tips of her clawed gloves. Drakken had grown more restless in the past few months, nearly wearing a rut in the concrete floor from his constant pacing. Shego knew why. He was agitated, eager to put another plot in to motion, but nothing solid had come to mind. Ever since "The Incident," just any old scheme wouldn't due anymore. It needed to be perfect. It needed to be foolproof. He had been searching for something to spark his cruel, creative mind, but nothing had in years.
"Doc, you need to calm down before you need to visit a chiropractor," Shego quipped. She was just as restless, but had better ways to focus her mind.
Drakken stopped in front of the enormous computer screen, leaning over to rest his hands on the control board. "I can't take it anymore, Shego. I need a plan. Or I swear, I'll rip my own eyes out."
Shego snickered. "I'd like to see that."
Drakken turned and glared at his associate, his frown deepening. "The Incident" had left him even more impatient than before, and much less petulant. One look could silence his overly-sarcastic partner, though it certainly didn't scare her. After all, she had been affected, too. Nothing scared her.
Drakken returned his focus to the monitor in front of him, typing furiously, pages from the dark web whizzing past. "If only I could find something…"
Something in the pages caught Shego's eye. "Hold up. Go back a bit."
The tone of her voice intrigued him, and Drakken slowly backtracked.
"Stop!"
He froze on a page that contained an auction announcement.
Upcoming Auction for the World's Most Dangerous Bioweapon
Curiosity piqued, the villains continued to read the ad:
After years of research and testing, we have created a genetically engineered soldier. Known as Prototype-L, the bioweapon has been through a thorough and intense training regimen, having mastered 7 different type of martial arts, including Tai Sheng Pek-war. Prototype-L is trained in computer hacking, electronic wiring, stealth and evasion tactics, and is proficient in a variety of firearms. Orders and commands given are carried out to the letter, as Prototype-L has the disciplined mindset of a soldier. For security reasons, we cannot fully disclose information on the subject's origins in this ad. Information will be made available to those that attend the upcoming auction. Contact shall be made via Jack Hench for date and location of the auction.
Drakken's eye twitched as he continued to stare at the screen, his mouth agape. He stood still and silent for so long, Shego began to worry.
"Uh… Dr. D? You okay?"
A low, maniacal laugh escaped the mad scientist. Shego jumped back as her boss threw his arms in the air, framing the monitor.
"This… This is exactly what I have been waiting for!" Drakken nearly shouted, his giddiness too much to contain.
Shego had to admit: the mystery of it was enticing. This bioweapon seemed almost too good to be true. She was curious to know the origins of the "genetically engineered soldier."
Drakken didn't need any more convincing. He had already signed them up and was beginning to plan his greatest scheme yet.
A/N: Thanks to StormChaser90 for his help wording and writing the auction ad.
