Chapter 2 : Initial Repercussions

Scene : Beginning of third period history class.

"So, KP, what did you get for question #3 ?" Ron asked, looking at his homework assignment before handing the assignment in.

"The 4th Amendment, Ron. It's the one prohibiting unreasonable search and seizure."

"Oh, right ! THAT one !" Ron chuckled in reply, "Well, I guess I did have a one in ten chance of guessing that one."

"Well, at least you got the number of amendments in the Bill of Rights correct." Kim replied, before being interrupted by a ruckus from the back of the room.

It was Vina storming into the room, and heading straight for Kim; she had bumped into one person, accidentally hit another with the wildly swinging omni-vox, and a third was injured when he shifted in his desk to get away - and fell over. Bonnie watched the unfolding scene from her seat near the back.

"KIM POSSIBLE !!" Vina bellowed at Kim, "I'D LIKE TO HAVE A FEW WORDS WITH YOU !"

"Okay ! Okay ! Indoor voice please !" Kim replied, "What's your damage Vina ?"

"Your tech friend Wade did a background check on me and my family ! Did YOU put him up to it ?" she asked, eyes narrowing in rage.

Kim cringed. "Oh, yeah ! Heh, sorry about that !" Kim replied sheepishly.

Vina lifted an eyebrow, "You asked him to violate federal, state AND international law ? And he did it ? Why ?"

Kim fidgeted nervously. "Well, I foil a lot of superfreak take-over-the-world schemes. Frequently. And, in order to do that, it's sometimes necessary to, well, kinda bend the rules. A little."

"Really ?" Vina replied with an arched eyebrow, "Federal and international laws are merely 'rules' to be bent when needed ? When did you decide that I'm a supervillain ?"

"Well, you did manage to eat two 'Thursday Surprises' without getting ill. Nothing human could do that !"

"But - I thought I explained that already !" Vina answered with an exasperated sigh, "You know - 'two olders sisters that can't cook to save their lives' ? 'Develop a cast iron stomach or starve' ? Any of that ring a bell ?"

"Yes. But I called Wade just after lunch; you explained about your sisters hours later. He didn't find anything suspicious, so there was no real harm done."

"No harm ?" Vina replied in a surprised tone, "Breaking into an empty vault is still illegal, even if there was nothing there to steal ! Cyber-crime laws were written for a reason you know ! Mainly the fact that anyone with the skill to illegally access data can change the data."

Kim was about to answer, but Vina put up her hand to quiet her.

Vina took a few deep breaths before continuing "Believe it or not, people actually do LEGITIMATE business with banks in the Cayman Islands !

Like my mom, dad, and sisters. We've had our accounts hacked, pirated, and hijacked almost a dozen times. So Nina was, quite understandably, majorly tweaked by Wade's - and your - blatant disregard for our privacy Miss Possible !" Vina finished in a haughty tone.

"Oooo ! Kim's NOT going to like that !" Bonnie mused to herself

"Hey ! I save the world on a weekly basis !" Kim replied, her temper beginning to kick in, "I DO have a LOT of dangerous enemies out there ! The only way to stay ahead of them or know what they are plotting is to keep very well informed !"

"So - the fact that I can actually EAT the food here means I'm part of some supervillain's freaky plot, and need to be watched ?" Vina replied with a smirk, thankful that her absurdity-loving sister Tina wasn't around to hear that comment, then burst out laughing, or cite a Zen koan or something.

"Yes ! Er, no ! I don't know !" Kim stammered.

"AHEM !" Mr Barkin interrupted, breaking Kim's train of thought, "As entertaining and relevant as this discussion about personal civil liberties is, I'M TRYING TO TEACH A CLASS HERE ! Both of you - sit down ! NOW !"

"Yes Mr Barkin." Kim and Vina replied in unison as they quickly took their seats. But continued to furtively sneer at each other the whole class.

Scene : Lunchroom.

"What was Vina going on and on and on about Ron ?" Kim fumed at Ron between munching on a celery stick, "Wade didn't find anything incriminating about the Rossums, so I don't see what she's so upset about. I apologized after all !"

"Well, she did have a point ..."

"No she didn't !"

Ron and Rufus look at her.

"Well, okay, she DID have a point. But she didn't have to be that emotional about it."

Ron and Rufus look at her again.

"Okay ! Enough with the looks already ! I'll try to talk to her later, and see if I can make it up to her."

Just then, Vina unsteadily walked by, desperately trying to keep a stack of books, a fully loaded lunch tray and the unwieldy omni-vox under control.

"Whoa ! I guess she still hasn't sorted out all her transfer paperwork yet !" Ron noted.

"Ouch ! And there are still four periods worth of books left to collect !" Kim replied with a grimace.

But before Kim could get up to offer her some help, two football players walked over and helped Vina with her books, and carried them over to a table where Bonnie was waving to her.

"Oh, now THIS can't be good !" Kim muttered to Ron as Vina walked over to Bonnie's table, "Not good at all !"

Scene : Bonnie's table.

"Did you send those two nice guys over to help me ?" Vina asked Bonnie.

"Yeah. It was nothing really."

"Thank you ! That was very considerate !" Vina replied, "May I ask why you helped me ?"

"Just glad to meet SOMEONE that doesn't faun all over Kim Perfect for a change !"

Vina smiled back and asked "Then I am very glad to make your acquaintance, Miss ... ?"

"Bonnie Rockwaller. And you're Vina Rossum, right ?" Bonnie asked, and Vina winced.

"It's okay - I know what it's like to have an embarrassing name. Believe me !" the teal eyed brunette stated before starting her interrogation, "So, did Miss Perfect over there REALLY snoop into your family's accounts ?"

"Yes !" Vina replied while shooting an evil glare at Kim. "I'm still not sure why though. Does she routinely do background checks on people ?"

"Not that I know of. Wouldn't surprise me though - she's always getting involved in things that don't concern her."

"Really ? Like what ?" Vina replied, her interest piqued.

"Like the yearbook committee. They asked HER what font they should use for the cover - and she wasn't even on that committee ! And she INSISTS on doing everything herself. It's like she thinks everyone EXCEPT HER are incompetent buffoons, incapable of doing anything right !"

"Hmmm, she does seem the type." Vina replied, "Those who can do anything MUST do everything. They simply can't trust anyone else to do it right, so they simply MUST do it themselves."

"Darn right !" Bonnie stated, "We had a dance last year, and she just HAD to do everything herself ! She didn't even want to hear my idea. Which, by the way, we did get to use anyway. And it did rock !"

Vina accessed her memory files. Oh yes, I recall that. She was attached to Bebebot hive mind, and she ordered one of my ancestors to retrieve the band 'Smash Mouth' for the dance. Glad to hear it worked out for the best !

"Oh, speaking of rocking, is that huge grey satchel thing you've been carting around all week actually a musical instrument ?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. It's an omni-vox. It can reshape itself into any instrument I can play. It also has advanced holographic capability, and seventeen additional, independent voice channels ..."

"Uh, okay," Bonnie replied, not really in the mood for a geek-out technical lecture, "So, how many instruments can YOU play ?"

"Three so far - violin, guitar, and piano. Haven't had a chance to learn drums or woodwinds yet. But Middleton does have a good music club and band program, right ?"

"They've made it to the finals a few times over the years, so I'd say so." Bonnie answered, getting an evil grin. "You any good ?"

"I haven't been in any competions, but I've been playing for almost fourteen years. Why do you ask ?" Vina asked suspiciously.

"Miss Perfect doesn't play any musical instruments at all. I'd LOVE to see someone take her down a peg or two. Especially after that talent show fiasco last year ..." Bonnie replied, her voice cold and harsh. Vina looked to the other cheerleaders at the table in confusion.

"Ron signed Kim up for the talent show." the blonde Tara finally answered, "and they won. Somehow."

"She only practiced singing FOR A WEEK !" Bonnie muttered, "and Stoppable threw something together in minutes ! I've studied classical ballet for twelve years, and they just ..."

Having 'inherited' and integrated some of Bonnie's subconscious, Vina had to suppress an echo of Bonnie's rage within herself. "Bonnie had a family tradition to uphold; the competion meant NOTHING to Kim and Ron ! They had no reason to compete at all ! It was just a way to hurt Bonnie to them, and nothing more !" Vina thought to herself.

Other emotional memories flickered through Vina's processors. "I don't even want to contemplate what Connie and Lonnie had to say about Bonnie's failure to 'uphold Rockwaller family tradition' !" she thought to herself before her emotion suppressors kicked in.

"One week ? Why did they even bother to compete then ?" Vina asked, "Just to tweak you ? Not very heroic of them if you ask me."

Bonnie smiled. "No, it wasn't !"

"Well then, let's see her beat THIS !" Vina smirked as she set the omni-vox on the floor and activated thirty percent of its capabilities.

All in the cafeteria were enraptured by a scene right out of Fantasia. :

The room filled with a bubble-gum pink light as the top of the omni-vox opened, and two pseudopods extruded upwards.

The thinnest one shaped itself into a bow, while the thicker one formed itself into a violin. The rest of the omni-vox shaped itself into a holographic projector - a smooth rectangular box with three glass panels.

Upon taking the violin and positioning it upon her right shoulder, three blobs of light formed near Vina, and slowly coalesced into what

looked like transluscent art class mannequins - that had hair exactly like hers. One held a bass, while two others held violins,

completing a string quartet.

In the air above them, golden holographic musical staves glimmered into view.

Vina and the holographic drones began playing, each note glowing as they were played. Flawlessly.

Even Rufus was too stunned to eat !

"That - that's Pachelbel's Canon a 3 on a Ground in D !" Bonnie stammered.

"Huh ? You know about that classical music stuff ?" Tara asked.

"Well doi ! A LOT of ballet is set to classical music !" Bonnie replied with a shrug, still watching Vina playing, "I kinda developed a taste for it over the years !"

"It sounds like Vina's been PLAYING it for years !"

"Or at least that composition anyway." Bonnie replied as Vina finished playing. The holograms disappeared as the violin and bow melted back

into the omni-vox as Vina politely bowed and waved to the other cheering students.

Kim was still sitting there moments later, wide eyed and mouth open, until Ron's cry of "That was BADICAL !" snapped her out of her stunned state.

"Well, yeah, if you have THAT much technology backing you up !" Kim muttered through her teeth, "I doubt she's all that good without it !"

Before Ron could reply, the Kimmunicator sounded its familiar four tones.

"What's the sitch Wade ?" Kim asked, still glaring at Vina.

"You asked me to keep a look out for uber-weirdness. Well, we got some." Wade answered, taking a sip from his ever present soda before continuing. "A chemical research lab in Kansas was robbed. The thieves smashed down a few walls, and dragged out several tons of experimental chemicals and equipment."

"Wow. Sounds serious. We're on it !" Kim replied, grabbing Ron by the arm. "Yo Ron ! Mission time !"

"Aww man ! But they haven't even started serving seconds on the pudding yet !" Ron pouted.

"I'll make it up to you later Ron ! Now move !"

Scene : outside Acme Industrial Chemical Research Laboratories.

Kim took in the crimescene : the building was a huge, sprawling cinderblock complex. With one six foot wide hole in the wall before her, and an empty space where a side wall USED to be to her right. Leading away from the building were four long, deep gouges in the grassy field that disappeared in the distance.

"That's - one big hole !" Ron noted as the company foreman walked over.

"Are you Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable ?" he asked.

"Guilty as charged !" Ron replied as he vigorously shook the man's hand. "Team Possible at your service !"

"Good to know. I'm Dale Richardson, lab foreman of this facility."

"Glad to meet you sir." Kim stated, "So, Mister Richardson, what was stolen ?"

"An entire month's production of our experimental plasto-ceramic composite. And the machinery needed to cure and shape it. The finished product is nearly as strong as titanium steel alloy, but less than a quarter the weight. We finished a batch to send to the labs at the space center, but, well ..." the foreman continued, gesturing towards the cavernous (and now empty) room.

"How much were you planning to send ?" Kim asked.

"About six tons of processed composite. We even had the railroad cars ready to transport. The thieves took them too."

"Looks like they had it very well timed and planned out." Kim stated before noticing something on the floor of the building.

It was a very fine grey gritty powder. LOTS of it. Sprayed out in a ten foot long cone from the hole Kim walked through.

A fifteen foot cone of the same powder was sprayed out on the grass where a wall used to be.

"Hmmm - it looks like the thieves entered here, and exited over there." Kim stated to Ron before activating the Kimmunicator, "Why don't you and Rufus check things out over there while I check this dust out ?"

"No prob KP !" Ron replied as he jogged off.

"I need a tech scan here Wade." she stated to the viewscreen.

"Working. Well, that's odd ..." Wade answered, rubbing his chin.

"What's odd ?"

"There's no trace of explosive residue on the wall."

"So they didn't blast in. Any sign a laser was used ?"

"No. Nothing to indicate high heat or any kind of energy projecting device was used. But that powder all over the floor is finely pulverized cement and cinderblock. Same composition as the walls."

"So someone hit the wall with something, with enough force to turn the shrapnel into dust then ?"

"Looks that way."

"Thanks Wade." Kim replied before turning the device off. "Anything odd out your way, Ron ?"

"Not really. Those gouges run all the way from here to the railroad tracks way over there." Ron replied while gesturing into the distance, "And there were a bunch of dents in the asphalt where a road crosses the tracks. So, who do you think did this ? Drakken ? He's stolen huge and massive equipment lots of times."

Kim thinks for a moment. "No - he would've just vaporized the roof with some sort of ray and airlifted the stuff out."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Ron replied after thinking for a second, "Not Dementor's style either. He usually steals small stuff, or just computer data.

Or uses disintegrator rays to remove the ceiling, and the ceiling is still here. And there are no monkeys involved, so it's not Monkey Fist. Not animal related enough for DNAmy either. What do you think Rufus ?

Rufus ?

Hey, where are ya little buddy ?" Ron asked, looking about nervously. There was a chittering sound from a tuft of grass, and his paw waving to get attention.

Rufus was standing in a four inch deep footprint concealed in the high grass.

"Hey - there's another one over here !" Ron noted, "And another, and another, and another."

"And a trail of them over here." Kim noted, "AND over here. Wait - three sets of deep tracks ? It's the Bebebots ! They're back in action !"

"How do you figure that KP ?"

"How many other villains do we know that can drag things weighing several tons across a field BY HAND ?"

"Ah, yeah, good point. But I thought you beat them already ! How many times do we have to defeat them so they stay, well, defeated ?"

"As many times as it takes, Ron. As many times as it takes !" she replies with a grim and determined look, "But they're going to need

a lot more than just a novel plasto-ceramic compound. They'll need computer chips, conveyor belts, high tech equipment and someplace to hide.

If they carted the material off by train, they'd most likely build a base near the tracks." She activated her Kimmunicator again and asked Wade to check all rail traffic near the laboratory.

"Someone hacked into the computers, Kim." Wade replied after furiously typing on two computers, " Completely randomized the data. I have no idea when the stolen train left there, nor where it went."

"Well, no real surprise there. So, how many abandoned factories or depots are within, say, a half an hour's travel by rail from here ?"

"Checking ... done ! Fifteen."

Kim sighed. "It's gonna take a lot of time to check out all of them. Any of them look more promising than the others ?"

"I can do some more checking to narrow the list down a bit. I should have the results in an hour to two."

"Thanks Wade. Oh, and keep an eye out for any large thefts of high tech electronics and computer chips."

"No prob." Wade smiled before signing off.

Scene : booth at Bueno Nacho

"A Grande sized Naco Platter ?" Ron stated in a reverential tone, "You're the greatest GF EVER, KP !"

"Like there's much competition for that title Ron !" Kim replied, "Riiiight ?"

"No. Nuh uh ! No way ! You're the only one for me !" Ron replied while Rufus started shoveling as much cheese as he could.

"Hey Kim, Ron." Wade stated in a dead drone.

"Heya Wade ... WADE ?!" Ron replied, realizing that Wade was out of his room. And standing right beside them at the moment.

But he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks - odd since they had last seen him on the Kimmunicator just a few hours ago.

"Wade ?" Kim gasped, "What happened ? You look way stressed !"

"They confiscated my computers !"

Kim and Ron flinched. "Who did what ?" Ron asked.

"Suits. From several government agencies. Impounded EVERYTHING ! Every hard drive ! Every printer !"

"Whoa ! That's heinous !" Kim said.

"Every compact disc, flash drive, keyboard and monitor !" Wade continued, oblivious to Kim's statement.

"Maybe you'd better sit down." Ron stated as he got out of the booth to sit beside Kim. Wade took the now open seat - and then nearly inhaled Ron's soda.

Kim and Ron waited a few moments for Wade to calm down before asking questions.

"Okay, Wade, take it from the top. What exactly happened, and when ?" Kim asked.

"It was about an hour and a half after I last talked to you. I finished that research you asked for, then mom said there were several men with badges looking for me. I thought they were looking for help, or to offer some consulting work. You know, the usual reasons.

Then they pulled out their warrants and then took my equipment away !" Wade continued, getting paler by the word.

Kim gently patted him on the shoulder until he could recover some of his composure.

"I managed to narrow the list of places the thieves could have taken all that plasto-ceramide compound down to five. Before ..."

"It's okay, Wade. We can deal with that later."

"Man, this is MAJOR, KP !" Ron whispered to Kim so not to distress Wade further, "Who do you think could take Wade out of the loop like this ?"

"Who do you think, Ron ?" Kim replied, her green eyes narrowed in rage, "The Rossums !"

Scene : Rossum residence living room.

Tina is meditating on a mat in the living room, while Vina and Nina converse :

"Uhm, Nina, are you SURE it was really a good idea to report Wade to the authorities ?" Vina asked her eldest sister while pacing nervously around the room, "I know what he did was illegal and underhanded and all, but since he didn't find anything incriminating, you COULD have just let him think he got away with it. Then Kim would have no reason to be on a warpath against me !"

"Wade is the core of their team." Nina states with an air of authority, "He is the one that maintains their website. He is the one that does their research, builds their devices, and tells them where the trouble is. Without him, Miss Possible and Mister Stoppable are essentially useless."

"Yes, I KNOW that !" Vina replies, massaging the bridge of her nose, "But I thought our mission was strictly reconnaissance. Just observing standard human behaviour, and then reporting our findings."

"Well, an opportunity like that doesn't present itself every day !" Nina replied with a broad grin, "So I took it. By binding Wade in bureaucratic red tape, I have given our less advanced cousins more time to complete their part of the mission before being set upon by Team Possible.

True, it also aids everyone else with an evil plot currently in motion as well, but it is unlikely that many villains will be lucky enough to take full advantage of this situation ..." she rambled on.

"But that's not going to get Kim off my case !" Vina interrupted, "I'M the one that's gonna have to put up with her next Monday !"

"That - is an unfortunate consequence Vina," Nina replied sheepishly, "And I am sorry for putting you through that. But, you must admit, it is a most efficient way to get them off our backs for a bit."

"No argument from me. But that stunt won't stall him for long."

"True. But it should buy the others at least a little more time free from Kim's investigations."

"How much time ?" Vina asked.

"Difficult to say." Nina shrugged, "If Wade were anyone else, he'd be in prison, and forbidden to use any computers for YEARS.

But," Nina continued with a sigh, "since he has helped Kim and Ron save the world several times over, and they have friends in several high level law enforcement agencies, he should be back on line in a matter of days."

"But, what am I supposed to do about Kim on Monday ? She is definitely NOT going to be happy !"

Nina gestured and stammered while trying to think of an answer, but couldn't come up with anything.

Then she recalled that Tina hasn't spoken - or even MOVED - the whole time.

"Hey Tina ! You've been very quiet as of late." she stated as a diversion, "Do you have any thoughts relevant to the resolution of this situation ?"

A Mona Lisa smile crossed Tina's lips. "The more laws and order are made prominent, the more thieves and robbers there will be. Within darkness, there is light; and within light, darkness."

Nina and Vina blinked in surprise, gave each other a confused look, then said "Ohhhhkay ..." in perfect synchrony.

"It's quite simple, really" Tina began, eyes still closed, "As far as the human's laws go, we have done NOTHING WRONG ! Since Wade is a private citizen, he had no legal reason to access those databases. So reporting his activities to the proper authorities was the correct, normal and LEGAL thing to do. The decision to confiscate his equipment was theirs, NOT ours. Perhaps you should remind Miss Possible of that. Even she is NOT above the law Vina."

"But what if she tries to hurt me ?" Vina timidly replied.

"Kim Possible is a hero." Tina stated, mussing with Vina's hair, "Heroes do NOT beat people up without very good reason. For now, she has no good reasons. At most, merely vague suspicions. Her morals will protect you from her wrath. You need not fear physical retaliation from her just yet. If she - or anyone else - tries, they would be guilty of harrrassment or assault. Punishable offenses." she continued, reveling in the pure absurdity of the situation.

"Wade, on the other hand, may bear watching." Tina stated in a contemplative tone.

"How do you figure that T ?" Nina asked while adjusting her glasses, "I doubt he would be foolish enough to risk more legal entanglements. Committing more of the same acts that attracted the authorities in the first place is highly illogical."

"Actions beget reactions." Tina replied while stroking the disc of her yin-yang necklace, "Despite his incredible technological skills and intellect, he IS still a teenaged human male. Not the most logical thing in the world. I suspect the first thing he'll do the moment he gets his computers back is to come gunning for us - by sifting through every database on the planet, looking for anything suspicious."

"Let him try." Nina replied haughtily, "Our cover story is airtight and flawless. It is perfect."

Tina sighed. "How many times have we decreed something 'perfect', only to discover it was not ? Since Wade will be digging for dirt, perhaps you should provide some dirt for him to find."

"There is sufficient for him to find." Nina stated flatly, "I performed several very in-depth statistical analyses of every relevant database. I constructed an electronic trail that blends in with the other hundreds of millions he could access. There is nothing peculiar or out of the ordinary with our fraudulent electronic history that he could track down."

Tina thinks for a moment. "I don't doubt you or your skills, but I'd feel better if you did some searching to find out what Wade is capable of. Harmony and balance have been disturbed; nothing good can come of this."

With that, she slowly pressed into a one-handed handstand to stretch her legs out, and held the pose for four seconds before flipping gracefully onto her feet. "I'm heading out to the mall for a bit. Wanna come along V ?"

"Can I drive ?!" Vina asked perkily.

"NO !" both Tina and Nina stated.

"You're no fun !" Vina groused as she followed Tina out to the garage.

Scene : outside of Club Banana, Middleton Mall.

"Kim is SO going to be freaking out on Monday !" Bonnie crowed to Tara.

"What makes you say that ?" Tara replied, shifting her packages to a more comfortable position, figuring that Bonnie will be speaking for quite a bit.

"I heard from someone that overheard her friend Wade absolutely freaking about his computers being confiscated by the government !"

"But how are Kim and Ron supposed to know about missions without him ?" Tara replied.

"Don't know, don't care." Bonnie replied with a dismissive wave, "She brought in on herself. I mean, running a background check on a new student ? Is that nosy or paranoid or what ?"

"Isn't that Vina over there by the music store ?"

Bonnie looked where Tara was pointing. "Oh, yeah. It is."

"Hey V ! What's going on ?" Bonnie asked as soon as she and Tara walked over.

"Oh, hi Bonnie ! Just picking up some sheet music. Anything new at Club Banana ?" she asked after noticing the bags Bonnie and Tara were carrying.

"They have a new line of hip huggers and calypso shirts."

Vina looked at Bonnie oddly. "Uh, weren't hip hugger skirts in fashion, like, FORTY YEARS AGO ?"

"Yeah. But it's been so long that almost nobody remembers them ! They're so far out of fashion, they're back in fashion !"

Vina blinked a few times as her error-trapping routines kicked in. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Anyone up for smoothies ? I'm buying !"

Scene : food court of Middleton Mall.

"... and then Kim's little brothers used some sort of grappler ray to take the car they built for me back !" Bonnie fumed, "Like it wasn't bad enough that some freaks Kim was chasing totalled MY car !

So what do you drive Vina ?" she continued after taking a sip of her drink.

"Nothing. I don't know how to drive." Vina replied simply.

Bonnie's and Tara's jaw dropped. "You. Don't. Drive ?" Bonnie managed to stammer out, "But how can you not know how to drive ?!"

"I grew up on Forgotten Cay, a very small private island in the Caribbean." Vina began replaying her cover story.

"How small ?" Tara asked.

"Not even a mile across." Vina replied after a sip from her tropical strawberry concoction, "So even if we did have a car, there was nowhere to go. But, on the plus side, it was only an hour by boat to go shopping on Grand Cayman Island."

"The Caymans ? Aren't those where all the rich folk hang out ?" Tara asked.

"Yep. But not with my family though."

"Hey Vina ! You ready to head home yet ?" a female voice asked.

Bonnie and Tara were a bit put off when they noticed that the speaker had a disturbingly strong family resemblance to Vina - right down to the identical pencil grey eyes.

"Well, I was gonna head to the arcade and practice for Zomb-A-Palooza Six. Starts next Saturday ya know." Vina replied cheerfully, "Then catch a movie or talk with Bonnie and Tara. Can you pick me up later ?"

"I can give you a ride home if you need one V." Bonnie added.

"I have no problem with either solution. Call if something comes up, okay ?" Tina replied before waving and walking away.

"Sure. No problem. Thanks Tina !"

"Sooo, going by the family resemblance, I'm guessing that was your older sister ?" Tara finally asked.

"Yeah. That was Tina. I have another older sister Nina, but she doesn't get out very often."

"She into kung-fu or something ?" Bonnie asked, "I noticed she was wearing one of those black and white, divided swirly circle thing necklaces."

"She's been studying kung fu very deeply for quite some time." Vina answered, "That 'black and white divided swirly circle thing' is the yin-yang symbol of Taoism. A very influential philosophy among martial artists. At least that's what she says. Every chance she gets ..."

"You might want to keep her on speed dial - Kim's probably going to blow a fuse all over you on Monday. You may need all the friends you can get !"

"Tell me about it !" Vina replied with a nervous laugh before she and Bonnie began plotting a defense.

Scene : parking lot of Middleton Mall.

Tina had just inserted the key to the family car's ignition when she sensed Nina was trying to contact her through their built-in comm link.

Has something disastrous happened ? Tina concentrated, setting up the robotic equivalent of a telepathic link, we are only supposed to use this ability for emergencies !

I did further research on Wade Load, as you suggested. said Nina's voice playing in Tina's head, You were right to suggest that. Months ago, Team Impossible had gotten between him and his computer systems. He trapped them inside a McHenry laser grid.

How painful is a McHenry laser grid ?

A McHenry laser grid is not painful, T. IT IS LETHAL !

Tina thought for a few moments. He used lethal force against other humans ? Tell me the whole story.

Team Impossible asked Kim to stop saving the world. Nina began, She refused. Her rides started disappearing. So Kim asked Wade to do a computer trace to find Team Impossible's location. He was detected, and they defended by spiking his system.

And, since action begets reaction in an ever-worsening spiral, he responded with lethal force. Tina replied glumly, If he is willing to do that against other humans, he would have no remorse in doing far worse against us !

The connection was quiet for a few seconds.

Have you told Vina about this ? Tina finally asked.

No. She is under enough stress as it is. Nina answered in a weary tone, I believe it may be best for her and the mission to keep this from her for as long as it is necessary.

Agreed. Tina replied before shutting off the link.

"This could be bad. Very bad !" Tina thought to herself as she began the drive home. "Must think on this further. 'To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.'"