Chapter 13

(30 minutes later)

Acari and his assistants took Team Possible to his insectarium on the outskirts of Los Angeles in an SUV. In the front doors of the insectarium stood a woman about five feet, seven inches tall. She was in her mid 20s and had blonde hair. She was wearing a white button-down blouse, green vest and a purple dress with a gold chain necklace to go along with her labcoat.

Acari, his assistants, Kim and Ron got out of the vehicle.

"Miss Possible, I would like for you to meet my head assistant of all my insectariums. Meet Luna Acitas, a recent graduate of Oxford." Acari said, introducing his main assistant. "She has been a part of our lovely insect family for the past three months after Charles Yapsby was let go."

"Hello, everyone!" Luna said in a posh British accent.

"Pleased to meet you, Professor Acitas!" Kim said kindly, shaking her hand, "My name's Kim Possible. And this is my friend/sidekick Ron Stoppable!"

"Yep!" Ron said, shaking Luna's hand. "You know, I assist in saving the world, being the distraction and all. And this is Rufus!"

Rufus popped out of Ron's cargo pocket and saw Luna with his beady eyes.

"Hey, there! You look cute!" Luna complimented.

"Thanks!" Rufus squeaked for joy.

"Ah yes! I have heard much of you, Miss Possible!" Luna replied to Kim, "You were the one who read my master thesis on the perception of insects!"

"I read it twice, actually." Kim replied, "My favorite part was the one about the moths."

"Are you kidding? They are so my most favorite insect of all time!" Luna exclaimed for joy. "I've been fascinated with them ever since childhood. It eventually became my major but I wanted to minor in fashion design but..."

"What happened?" Kim asked.

"Let's just say that the fashion world is a bit cut-throat." Luna replied, "Instead, I minored in Shakespeare studies."

Luna then added, "You have heard of my father, right?"

"The multi-million dollar CEO of a tech firm, Ben Acitas?" Kim replied, "Yeah, I've saved him once before from the likes of Professor Dementor a couple months ago."

"Not me!" Ron huffed.

"What's with your sidekick here about insects?" Luna asked.

"Long story short, he has severe issues with them." Kim explained.

"I can see that." Luna said.

Turning to Acari, she then asked. "So what's the sitch about what's going on?"

"Oh yes, I was just getting to that part, Miss Possible." Acari replied. "Professor Acitas, can you escort them to the underground lair of the insectarium so that I can show her something?"

"It won't be a problem!" Luna walked to a small statue of a beetle. She opened a hidden panel and pressed some buttons on the panel.

"You need a code to access this part of the facility." Acari replied. "I learned that from the robotic tick theft."

"Always thinking one step ahead, Professor?" Kim asked.

"I'm getting better at it!" Acari replied as the door opened to a flight of stairs that was lit with lights on the steps. The walls were very narrow.

"Okay, everyone. Just please watch your step!" he then warned the group. Acari began the descent first, followed by Luna and then Kim and Ron. They used the lights on the stairs as a guide to prevent them from tripping and falling.

Once they got to the bottom, Acari then flipped a switch that activated all the lights in the underground lair of the insectarium.

"I do not usually come down here that often." he explained, "Can you imagine how much the electric companies charge in California? It is insane!"

"It'd be sticker shock, KP!" Ron exclaimed.

"I would have to sell a kidney!" Kim added.

They then came across some of Acari's clothes, which were very muddy and dirty.

"Do these clothes ever get washed?" Kim asked.

"Sometimes, Miss Possible." Acari replied, "Getting to some of the rarest insects of the world does require me to get my hands dirty."

"And hence, the reason why we have to buy a lot of detergent." Luna added. "The Professor does care a lot about his insect research."

"Indeed I do!" Acari said. "It is very important for me, with a minor in robotic engineering, to generate miniaturized versions of the real insects. And speaking of which..."

Acari then pressed a blue button on a nearby table. It was revealed to be a metallic robot helmet emerging on the top of a pedestal.

"This is the culmination of all my work!" Acari explained, "It is an Insect Robot Controller Helmet or the IRCH for short. It can control any type of robotic insect from any of the other 40 insectariums that are in my name across the globe."

He then continued, "It can select which robotic insect to control and, once selected, it woud obey the wearer's every command."

"How many insect robot types are on this helmet thing?" Kim asked while looking at the helmet.

"There are about 70 types." Acuna replied with the number.

He also added, "Of course, it would be disasterous if it fell in the wrong hands."

Then the four beeps of the Kimmunicator went off.

"Wade, what's the sitch?" she asked her famous phrase.

"Kim, we've recently gotten word from GJ that an unauthorized person is within LA airspace. He is currently flying a plaid dirigible and headed towards the insectarium!"

"A plaid dirigible..." Kim muttered to herself before she heard a tap-tap-tapping coming down the steps.

The object that came down the stairs was a golf ball.

"Ooooooh! A golf ball! Mind if I look at it?" Acari asked, approaching the golf ball.

Kim then heard beeping emitting from the ball and gasped.

"Professor Acari! Professor Acitas! Get down now!" she yelled.

Acari and Luna reacted quickly and ducked behind a nearby table. The beeping stop and a small explosion destroyed the staircase to the lab.

"There is only one villain in my rogues' gallery that uses exploding golf balls as his primary weapon!" Kim exclaimed, "Professor Acari, you get Professor Acitas to safety. Me and Ron will go after...Duff Killigan!"

"But how, KP? The staircase is shot!" Ron questioned, pointing to the damaged staircase.

"There is an emergency staircase in the back of the lab." Acari explained. "It will take you outside!"

"Then that's where we are going to go!" Kim insisted. "Come on, Ron! Let's find where Killigan is!"

"Right behind ya, KP!" Ron replied as they bothe went to the back of the lab. They accessed the emergency staircase.