In response to feedback regarding "Moodulated Memories":
Hbkfan84 – (chuckle) Quite a romantic, are ya? As I said, I'll see what potential couples, other than Kim and Ron, would spring up as I write the series. :)
To everyone: If anyone catches any goofs in my stories regarding any canon facts, as Forlong had caught, I appreciate telling me, so I can correct them. Thanks!
Disclaimer: All Kim Possible characters are the copyright of Walt Disney Corporation. I'm just borrowing them to write up a story with no intention of making any money. This is for fun. All other characters in my stories that Disney doesn't own are mine. :)
A/N: Well, after writing some nice stories to start off the series, I think I'm ready for a nice action/adventure/drama for a change. It's part of a story arc I have in mind. :)
This story is long. My longest KP story yet written, thus it is divided into two chapters for better reading instead of putting it all in one chapter.
Story rating: Rated K+ (aka PG)
Written: May 2005
Summery: Team Possible comes out of retirement to help a friend in need.
Kim Possible: The University Years
To Help a Friend
By JuPMod (aka JPMod)
The man looked at the notes, photographs, detailed plans, and personal files of certain people. He was quite pleased. Everything was coming together as he predicted. He turned to his most trusted aid.
"Everything is set. All we have to do is set the pieces in motion. You know what to do."
"Yes," the aid said as he bowed. "It shall be done." He then left the room.
The man smiled with a gleam in his eyes.
For Debra Oxford Tsuda, freshman student of Upperton University, tonight was a special night. She was busy packing her books and notebooks from her desk into her backpack. It was easy to tell that she was quite excited.
"Whoa, Debra!" a female voice spoke from the bed on the opposite side of the dorm room. "Slow down! You look like you're going to burn yourself out!"
"Sorry, Loretta," Debra replied sheepishly. "I can't help but feel excited." She turned to her roommate. "I've been to the university's planetarium a few times since I arrived at Upperton U, but this will be the first time my astronomy class will be using the planetarium for class!" She smiled. "It will be interesting to see how Professor Cochrane will use the planetarium for his lecture."
Loretta Brown, a brown-skinned UU sophomore student from New York City, chuckled as she sat up from her lying position she was using to read. "Understandable. This is the first time I've seen you this giddy for class. You love astronomy as much as I do with accounting." She held up her book on Complex Accounting.
After closing her backpack, Debra swung it through her arms to position it on her back. "And I deeply appreciated your mathematical wizardry, Loretta. You and Kim have helped me big with getting by math."
The other girl, with black/brown neck-length hair, dismissed it with a wave. "No big deal. It's easy for me."
"No big deal?" Debra smirked. "It's a big deal for me. You can crunch numbers, no prob. I'm having problems just crunching them under my foot."
Loretta lightly laughed as she gazed into the blue eyes of the petite brown/blonde-haired gymnastic athlete. "As I said, it's no big deal. I'm glad I can help." She smiled slyly. "I'm still surprised, even after three weeks, that you've befriended Kim Possible of all people."
Debra rolled her eyes. "Again? Loretta… We have things in common, especially regarding the whole 'popularity,'" she quoted with her fingers, "thing. She's human like everyone else. I can't see why everyone can't see that."
"Maybe because she's a hero." Loretta rose from the bed and sat at her desk.
"She's retired, Loretta. She and Ron realized they couldn't constantly save the world and keep up with university studies."
"Nevertheless, she is still considered a hero by many regardless how long ago she retired."
Debra just shook her head, her long, nearly waist-length, freed hair waved a bit from the movement of her head, before looking at her watch. "I better get going." She moved toward the door. "Have fun crunching numbers."
"Will do," Loretta replied as she held up her calculator before placing it back down again on the desk. "I'm ready for some serious crunching!"
Debra chuckled before leaving the room and closing the door behind her. Loretta turned toward the work assignment she was given to go along with the chapters she had just read minutes ago.
"Feel my wrath, you evil, dark side numbers!" she cried out with an evil gleam in her eyes.
In the girls' dorm building next door of Debra and Loretta's building, Kim Possible, her shoulder-blade length red hair in a ponytail, stood at the windows of her third-floor dorm room, looking at the few people walking about. It was few minutes to 8 PM. She slightly grinned upon seeing Debra leaving her dorm building with a slight hop in her steps.
"There she goes," Kim said before turning around to look at Monique, who was lying on her bed. "Debra sure looks excited."
"Can you blame her?" Monique smirked. "That girl loves astronomy to bits. Kind of strange she chose such a career. With all the city lights in Japan, how could she have seen the stars, growing up in that country?"
Kim shrugged as she sat on her own bed. "Beats me. I had never questioned why she chose to be an astronomer." She picked up a notebook and pencil. "She must have been influenced in some form or another."
"True," Monique replied before looking down at the fashion magazine she was reading as a break from schoolwork. "I certainly don't question the career paths you've chosen. For the girl who can do anything, you can be anything."
"Not true, Monique," Kim sighed. "I can't do everything."
"Ah!" Kim's friend responded. "This coming from a woman who flew her dad's experimental space plane down to Earth from a space station… And she was only a teenager!"
Kim chuckled. "Fredrick had given me lessons on the way up." She eyed her roommate. "And again, I can't do everything. You know this."
Monique smirked and shrugged before eyeing the notebook and pencil in Kim's hands. "Schoolwork or diary?"
"Diary," Kim answered before looking down at the notebook. "I like to add a few more entries to today's journal before tackling today's work."
"Good for you, girl. I always had said you should've had a paper diary and not the electronic one you had before."
Kim just smiled with a nod. She had told Monique long ago that Wade Load had hacked into her personal computer and read her diary entries stored there. What Kim hadn't told Monique was Wade gave himself away by mentioning Kim's accidentally using the boy's bathroom in high school. No one had saw her used the bathroom, so it left the simple conclusion that the little computer nerd read her diary. She had been pissed and immediately changed to the old-fashioned paper and pencil to record her diary logs.
Giving a small chuckle on that memory, Kim put pencil to paper and jotted down her entries to today's log.
Debra was walking back to her dorm room after, what she considered, a wonderful class. It was fun having a lecture where the professor used the planetarium as a tool to get his points across. She clutched her astronomy book to her chest, thinking of the assignment the professor has given the class.
It was sometime after 10 PM and the path back to the girls' dormitories were empty, for there were very few people out at this time of the time. Most students were either studying, at very few late night classes, or sacked out in bed.
Far as Debra was concerned, there was nothing to worry about as she gazed ahead along the path.
She was so preoccupied that she did not noticed, until too late, a man have jumped out of a few bushes behind her and knocked her unconscious on the back of the head. Another joined the man as they picked her up by the arms and took her away.
All that remained of the young freshman student was her astronomy book, which laid on the walkway.
Kim frowned as she walked side-by-side with Ron as they left the athletic building where the dojo was housed. It was past 8 AM and she couldn't understand what had happened.
Ron noticed her mood. "Come on, Kim, I'm sure Debra have a reasonable explanation why she didn't show up."
"That's it, Ron," Kim said. "For the past three weeks, she always showed up on time for our martial art workouts regardless how little or much school work either of us have. It's not like her."
Sighing, seeing Kim was still concerned, Ron tried a different approached. "How about we stop by her dorm room and see if she's okay?"
Giving the man she loved a small smile, she nodded her consent. Maybe she was blowing things out of proportions. Kim took Ron's hand and squeezed it. They walked hand-in-hand toward the girls' dormitories.
As they approached the girls' dormitories, the couple noticed a university security patrol car parked outside Debra's dorm building. For Kim, she knew the patrol car was not there when she left for the dojo at 6:30 AM. She hoped nothing bad had happened, given the cluster of students talking quietly about the building.
Kim and Ron climbed the stairs to the second floor and approached Debra's dorm room. There were few girls standing about, yet they were all focused on Debra's dorm room. Upon knocking the door, a voice was heard on the other side.
"Who is it?" Kim recognized Loretta Brown's voice.
"Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable, Loretta," Kim called out. "We're here to find out whether Debra is okay. She missed her workout with us this morning."
A moment later, the door opened to reveal Loretta. Yet Kim and Ron immediately noticed the university security officer behind Loretta in the room. "Oh, thank goodness, you're here! Maybe you can help out!" She gestured for the two to enter the room before closing the door.
"What's going on here?" Ron asked as he and Kim looked at Loretta then the security officer.
The security officer answered. "I'm afraid Miss Tsuda is missing. A student found this book," he held up an astronomy book, "on the path leading from the planetarium to the girls' dorms. It have Miss Tsuda's name on it. The student brought it to the lost-and-found department, whom immediately brought the book here. Miss Brown here found it odd that her roommate didn't came home last night from her astronomy class. When she was given the astronomy book, she knew something must have happened to Miss Tsuda, so she had called security. We've already, by phone, questioned Miss Tsuda's astronomy professor, and he said that last he saw of her was that she was walking back to the girls' dorms from the planetarium last night."
Taking his pen, the officer pointed to Kim. "You've mentioned moments ago that Miss Tsuda was to meet you for a workout, Miss Possible. Can please explain?"
"She and I occasionally workout at the university's dojo since we first met three weeks ago. This morning was one of our scheduled workouts. She didn't show up." Kim was feeling horrified that something could have happened to Debra.
"When and where was the last time you've seen, Miss Tsuda?" the officer asked.
"Last night, when she left the dorm building for class," Kim replied. "My dorm room is in the building next door on the third floor. As my friend, she told me that she had class last night, so I knew she would be leaving, so I watched from my window. I haven't seen her since."
The officer nodded as he wrote down what Kim said. "Anyone was with you at the time?"
Kim nodded. "Yes, my roommate Monique Williams."
"We'll be questioning her to verify your story, but I don't see why we can't issue out a statewide Amber Alert. Thus far, all stories seem to lead to the case that Miss Tsuda was abducted."
Kim and Ron's eyes went wide at this, while Loretta in shock felt her knees gave out and sat on her bed.
"This can't be happening," Loretta whispered. "Why her?"
The officer shrugged. "She is quite well known now. Possible someone kidnapped her for ransom, to prevent Upperton U from winning anymore gymnastic tournaments, or…" His voice trailed off, leaving his words unsaid. For Kim, Ron, and Loretta, they swallowed knowing well what the officer was saying without words.
"Now if you excuse me," the officer said as he took out a directory of names, "I'll be questioning Miss Possible's roommate before issuing my report. The police will be keeping this book to analyze for any possible clues." With that said, he left.
Kim knelt in front of Loretta and took her hand. She had only met Debra's roommate once when she and Monique came by only once to visit Debra two weeks ago. "Debra will be found. She'll be okay."
Loretta only nodded. "I was lucky to have grown up in New York City in a good neighborhood. I've read and heard of the horrors other families endured, yet this is the first time I've experience anything like this happening to someone I know." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I hope she's alive. I can't imagine her…"
"Don't think that," Kim responded in a soothing tone. "She's alive." Kim's green eyes then blazed with determination. "Everything is going to be okay."
Standing up, Kim looked at Loretta. "Are you going to be okay?"
Loretta gave a small smile. "I'll be fine. I'll call some of my friends to comfort me. I'm still in shock." She pointed to Kim as her voice rose. "I can see what you're going to do. Bring her home."
Kim's expression was full of purpose. "I will." With that said, she left the room with Ron at her heels.
"Kim! KP!" Ron shouted as he speed walked fast to catch up with his girlfriend as she walked across the short distance to her dorm building. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"
Stopping and turning to face her boyfriend, she replied vigorously. "Yes. Someone took our friend, Ron. They made it personal. Every minute the police waste on gathering evidence would decrease the chance that Debra could be found alive. I want to find her."
Ron knew that when she has this particular look on her face, she was not going to back out. Spending all those years as her friend, partner, and boyfriend, he knew himself what he was going to do. "'We', KP. We will find her. I'm going to be by your side as I had before and always will." He smirked, eyes full of love and power.
Kim sighed with a grin as her heart fluttered as she looked into his brown eyes with love shining in her own. She knew he would say that. He was always by her side through the good and bad times of her life, and she couldn't imagine saving the world or living her life without him.
With hands on his arms, Kim reached up and gave a kiss on his lips and lingered there for a few moments. He returned the kiss with equal affection.
She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes as hers narrowed with a firm grin. "Let's find our friend, partner."
With those words, Team Possible was back.
Slowly, Debra woke up. Her eyes were still closed as she rose from a lying position. The last thing she remembered was walking back to her dorm when she felt something clocked the back of her head. She reached back to examine the area where she was hit and felt the bruise and some swelling, but other than that she felt okay.
Opening her eyes, she saw she was sitting on a small bed with metal framework, the type seen sometimes the army uses. The room has concrete walls and ceiling, and it was softly a glowed with light from a single bulb from the ceiling. Next to the bed was a small table with some fruit, an empty glass, and pitcher of water.
Then she noticed her attire. She no longer wore the sweatshirt and cargo pants she wore to astronomy class, but a simple long sleeved blue shirt and matching slacks. Shivering, she hoped whomever undressed her didn't done anything gross, yet she felt her body wasn't violated, for she would knew if she was.
"Where am I?" Debra asked, speaking for the first time since awakening.
"Miss Tsuda, you're finally awake," a male voice spoke.
Startled, Debra glanced to the source of the voice and noticed a speaker above the door and the wall-mounted camera above the speaker. The door she noticed was thick steel and did not have a knob or handle, thus she realized it could only be open from the outside. Slowly getting up, the young woman checked the door to see whether it can be open regardless.
"I assure you, Miss Tsuda, that the door can't be open from the inside. The hinges, as you can see, can't be prided apart, even if you tried to use the edges of the bed's metal frame on it. Simply, it's best for you to just sit down and wait things out."
"Who are you?" she shouted, feeling irritated and angry that she was kidnapped. "What do you want from me?"
The male voiced chuckled. "Typical first time response for anyone in your position.
"As for who I am, I'm not going to say. One would be foolish to gloat and reveal one's name to his prisoner. As for what I want from you…"
After hearing the unknown stranger said about what he wanted, Debra's face went from shock to anger.
"I got to get out of here!" she mentally exclaimed.
If there were any doubts that Team Possible was back, it was laid to rest as the two young people walked across the campus together – both in their known black mission shirts, cargo pants, belts, and backpacks. Ron's were not the same size as two years ago, due to his added growth, but Kim's were the same with bare midriff. Just her shirt were bit more tighter given her breasts expanded a bit to make the shirt bit more snug than it was two years ago.
Upon seeing the pair, people stepped aside to let the duo past with two of their friends besides them. The word of Debra's abduction has already spread throughout the university, especially after the statewide Amber Alert announcement, and already the word was spreading of the return of Team Possible.
"I still can't believe someone would kidnap, Debra," Felix said as his motorized wheelchair kept pace with Kim and Ron.
"What's to believe?" Monique replied heatedly. "She's smart, pretty, and quite famous now. I wouldn't be surprise there would be sickos who would want something from her."
"Monique…" Kim called out. "Please don't think that way." The thought of such a thing happening to Debra sick her.
Ron agreed. "KP is right. Let's not think such thoughts. The bad dudes will get what's coming to them." He then smirked. "Besides, knowing how well Debra can fight, I doubt anyone can touch her in such a way. She would have the goons flung into the walls… face first."
Kim, Monique, and Felix smiled. They knew Debra's martial arts skills were quite formidable.
They finally arrived at the spot Debra was kidnapped. University Security, with the police, already combed the area for clues and found nothing.
Kim took out her Kimmunicator. "Wade."
The 14 year-old tech genius appeared on the screen. "Go, Kim."
After Kim had changed into her mission clothes in her dorm room, she had immediately contacted Wade Load. The black teen had been surprised to see Kim in her mission clothes, and after she told him of the current sitch involving Debra, Wade was eager to again help Team Possible.
"What you got?" Kim asked. Just before leaving her dorm, Wade had mentioned he would do a search on anything that would help find out who had taken Debra.
"I've checked the video from several cameras from the closest buildings to the spot where Debra was taken. This is the vid from the moment she was abducted."
The screen changed to a vid from the closest building that was in front of Debra. Monique, Ron, Rufus, on Ron's shoulder, and Felix stood behind Kim to watch the vid. It was clear that Debra was far to see any details on her, especially since it was dark. Yet after a minute or so, they watched as a man smacked her on the head, and another came to help the first man carried Debra off with arms around her waist and under her arms.
Wade continued. "Now this next vid is from a building closest to the closest parking lot from the point of abduction."
The vid changed to show the lighted parking lot, where a few cars were parked. The two men appeared as they dragged Debra into a waiting van. Despite the light from the tall lampposts, the van was position in a dark area, thus the details of Debra and her abductors couldn't be seen, as well as they were far to make out any details.
"Wait," Monique pointed. "Can you make out the license plate number?"
"Yep," Wade answered. The screen zoomed in on the van's rear plate. "That plate was lighted by the van's rear plate lights. The police already had looked at the vids and found the plate number. Reports indicated they're already on the case of checking out the plate number and tracking who own the van."
Ron spoke out. "So it was simple to just track the plate number, right?" He was rubbing his chin with Rufus imitating him as they look at the small screen.
"I don't know," Kim frowned suspiciously. "This feels too easy. Something is not right. Why would the kidnappers let the license plate number be shown? Is the number phony?"
"No," Wade replied. "I've checked the number to state registries, and the number is legit."
Looking at the vid, an idea came to Kim. "Wade, do a split screen and show both vids and played them together." The screen split and both vids started to play together. "Now freeze on the frame when Debra was carried off the path and freeze on the frame when she was about to be place into the van." Both vids froze on the frames indicated.
Ron was scratching his head. "You got me, KP. What are you looking for?"
Looking between the two frames, Kim spotted something. "This." She pointed to Debra in each frame. "Notice her height to that of the abductors."
"Yeah," Felix agreed. "In the frame when she was carried off the sidewalk, notice her legs are dangling in the air. The frame where she was about to be place in the van, her feet are touching the ground."
The revelation hit everyone as Kim spoke. "That's not Debra being put in the van. It's someone else wearing her clothes to make it look like it's her."
"Deception?" Ron asked, looking into Kim's eyes.
Kim nodded. "Deception. They want to throw everyone off track."
Wade appeared on the screen again. "And they done a pretty good job at that. The police and the Amber Alert system are focusing on the van. It is clear they didn't caught the height difference."
Kim continued. "This means that they managed to get Debra off campus through another way. Have you checked the vids from other cameras?"
The teen boy nodded. "Already done, but other than these two vids, all others don't show anything."
Monique spoke out as she pointed down the path toward the parking lot in the distance. "They switched Debbie between here and the parking lot, right? So they must have switched her between here and the parking lot."
Kim saw what she was thinking. "Good idea, Monique. Maybe there are clues along the path."
Wade cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I want to let you know, Kim, that you'll be getting help shortly."
"Help?" Kim asked bewildered. "From who?"
Suddenly a shadow was cast over them. Looking up, they noticed a flying saucer similar to what Drakken had used, except this saucer look more aerodynamic and the cockpit was covered with front, sides, and rear windows. The two side windows slid down to allow the two occupants to pop out their heads. With a smile, they both said that same thing at the same time as they waved. "Hicka-bicka-boo!"
Kim's mouth was wide open. "The Tweebs?" She looked at Ron and noticed he was shocked as well, while Monique and Felix were just surprised.
Jim Possible hoped off the saucer and landed in front of his big sister. "Been awhile since we've last seen you, sis." Tim Possible spoke from the saucer. "Glad we're together on this mission."
"Hold it!" Kim waved, her eyes narrowing at her 14 year-old twin brothers. "What are, you Tweebs, doing here?"
Wade spoke up. "As you know, I take care of Jim and Tim's website, as I did with yours. Shortly after you signed off from your dorm room, I received a hit on the site from the state police. They wanted Team Supreme to help out finding Debra."
Jim continued. "Wade told us you and Ron were also on the case…"
Tim finished. "So we decided to join you."
Jim started. "We can work together…
Tim finished again. "To solve the case!"
Jim and Tim together. "Hoosha!"
Kim frowned as her eyes narrowed further. She could hear Ron, Monique, and Felix chuckling. "Fine," she relented. "Just you two are to follow my orders. We can't work together if you decide to do things on your own without my or Ron's knowledge. Agree?"
Jim looked up at Tim. Their faces clearly shown they don't like to be taking orders, but they realized she was right. They both turned to face their big sister. "Agree," they replied.
"Good," she said with a firm face. Her lips then turned into a warm smile. "I'm glad to see you both as well." Kim's eyes scanned Jim from head to toe. He was close to Kim's height now, and given their rate of growth, Kim wouldn't be surprise that the twins would reach Daddy's height or even more by the time they reached 18 years old. Their mission clothes were something of a cross between Team Possible's mission clothes and Kim's blue battle suit. The black shirts have gray stripes as well as the tight gloves. Instead of cargo pants, they wore black tights that also have gray stripes. Their black flat boots were also battle suit enhanced. Each wore a wrist communicator. The only indication to tell Jim and Tim apart was the collars, for Jim wore green and Tim red.
Felix was at awe at the Tweebs' flying vehicle. "When did you two build that?"
Jim answered with a proud grin. "We grew tired depending on others for our transportation…
"So we decided a month ago to build our own," Tim said. "It's not meant for long range transportation…
"Say to another continent."
"But least it help us…"
"Get around…"
"North America…"
"Easily," they finished together.
Kim grinned as she shook her head. "Do you two have a license to fly this thing?"
Jim and Tim looked at Kim like she was wacked. "You've flown a space plane," Jim pointed out.
"And that weather machine," Tim added.
"Without a license!" they both cried.
A chuckle escaped her lips. "Point taken."
Ron immediately came into Kim's view between her and Jim. "As nice as this family reunion is, we still have someone to rescue." Rufus nodded his head.
His words snapped Kim back to why they were there. "Right. Come on." She led her group down the path toward the parking lot with Tim following in the saucer.
"Kim," Wade said. She brought the Kimmunicator back up to see Wade as she walked down the path. "There is something else you should know. I've done some searching on the possible motive to the kidnapping. Are you aware when the next competition event is for Upperton University's girls gymnastics team?"
His words stopped her in her tracks with everyone else doing the same. "Yes," her face showing she realized what Wade was pointing at. "Debra had told me that tonight Upperton U would be hosting Arizona Tech."
Wade nodded. "Yes. According to the rules I read, except for physical health reasons, all team members must be in attendance in order for the team to officially compete. If one team member is absent, the team automatically forfeits to the opposing team."
Monique was outraged. "That's not fair! It's not Debra's fault she was kidnapped!"
Wade shook his head. "It doesn't matter. The rules have no exceptions to cover kidnappings. Given the circumstances of the timing of the abduction, I reasoned this is a high possible motive. It still doesn't rule out other motives though."
Kim's eyes narrowed. "Nevertheless, we still have to find her. We just have to work faster to get her back here before 5 PM." She saw the time on the Kimmunicator and it was sometime past 11 PM already. "That's when they start the competition."
With determination, Kim once again led her friends and family down the path, searching for clues to find their missing friend.
Sitting on the bed, Debra fumed with crossed arms. The ventilation ducts in the room were all small, thus she wouldn't fit in them. Besides, they were all on the high ceiling, so she couldn't reach them anyway. The door was impossible to open from the inside. In all words, as her captor as said, there was no way out.
"You're not going to go anywhere anyway," the stranger's voice spoke out from the speaker. "You might as well relax and wait for the day to pass."
Debra's only response was a growl. After she had learned why she was kidnapped, she was outright angry.
A chuckle was heard from the speaker. "Quite a tiger, aren't you? You might as well accept the inevitable. Upperton U will have no choice but to forfeit, giving the win to your opponents."
"Not that I can help it!" she shouted. "I find it low that Arizona Tech hired someone to kidnap me to allow them to win! That's not fair sportsmanship!"
"Fair sportsmanship has not truly existed. Since the dawn of athletic competition so long ago, there were always those who would do unfair actions to give them the edge over opponents.
"Steroids, for example. Since the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea, the athletic world was plagued with scandals over athletes using steroids and other medicines to give them an edge. America in recent years has steroid problems involving baseball and football players.
"Bribery is still in use today regardless how many rules are in place to prevent it. The Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah was rocked with the scandal involving the French judge, who accepted a bribe from the Russians to allow the Russian figure skating pair to win the gold over the Canadians. In the final skating performance, the Russian pair had made an error, while the Canadian pair performed flawlessly. It was clear to anyone that the Canadians should have won the gold, not the Russians.
"So even today, fair sportsmanship does not exist, for there still those today who would find ways to give them the advantage, even it means selling their souls."
Debra blinked. What he said made sense. "What you said is sometimes true, but as long as I'm an athlete, I will never play unfairly. My skills and abilities are my own, not created by medicine or genetic manipulation. I've been taught that there will always be someone better than me. If someone does come along and beat me in gymnastics, I will shake her hand with grace and congratulate her. I will not be a sore looser."
There was a short pause of silence before her captor spoke. "You, Miss Tsuda, have an honorable heart. Your pride does not cloud your judgment over others. You are destined to do many great things. You were taught well."
Again Debra blinked. She could easily tell her captor have spoken with some admiration in his voice. The young woman raised an eyebrow. "I find that odd coming from a man, hired to kidnap me in order to force my team to forfeit to our opponents."
He chuckled. "Do you think everyone, who is 'good,' have honorable hearts? Do you think everyone, who is 'bad,' have dishonorable hearts? The world is not black-and-white, Miss Tsuda." With that said, she heard the sound he has turned off his side of the speaker system to prevent her from hearing him.
Debra was left quite confused on the nature of her captor. He certainly did not sound like the typical hired goon out for money.
"Who is he?" she pondered.
As they walked down the path toward the parking lot, the group looked about to see anything out of the ordinary. Yet it seemed that everything looked normal. Then they came across a manhole cover. It was about halfway toward the parking lot.
Looking at the manhole cover, Kim has a hunch. "Wade… Can you pull up any plans involving the university's sewer systems? Where does this manhole lead to?"
"Working," Wade said as he typed fast on his keyboard. "Got it. According to these plans, the sewer, that this manhole covers, leads outside the university grounds."
Ron caught on what Kim was thinking. "Thinking they took Debra out this way?"
"Possible," Kim answered. "Wade, what about the security cameras? Surely they should have picked up the kidnappers using this manhole to make the switch."
Checking again the security vids, Wade shook his head. "Nothing. Matter of fact…" He looked more closely to what he saw. "You guys are standing on a blind spot."
"A blind spot?" Monique asked.
"Meaning," Kim explained, "that the security cameras can't see this manhole or us right now."
"Precisely," Wade agreed before he pressed a button. The small screen began showing various camera angles from multiple cameras. "What you're seeing is real-time footage from the cameras surrounding you. The trees and the bushes are blocking the view of the path and the manhole. Only the twins' saucer can be seen, given it's above the trees."
What Wade showed clinches things for everyone. "No doubt," Felix said, "they took her through the sewer systems."
Ron and Kim took off the manhole cover, before she, taking out a flashlight, looked down into it. The sewer below was big for anyone to walk through it. Kim looked up.
"Alright now," Kim began, "we have to split up." She pointed to Jim. "You and I will follow the sewer to where it leads." Before Ron could protest, Kim pointed to him. "You and Tim will track us above ground."
"Kim--"
"Ron, I think this is best way. This way we will not all be ambushed if there happens to be traps. Besides, I want you to take your bike. If we find Debra, I doubt the saucer will hold all five of us given its size."
Seeing her reasons, Ron nodded.
"What about us?" Monique asked as she gestured to herself and Felix. "We like to help too."
Kim grinned and shook her head. "Having too many people will make us easy targets. The fewer people the better. Besides, why don't you two see whether Loretta could use some company?"
"Okay," Monique relented, even though she was disappointed. Felix nodded.
With everyone in agreement on the plan, Kim nodded to her brother. "Okay, Jim, let's go!"
Kim climbed down the ladder, followed by Jim. Upon reaching the bottom, they shown their flashlights in the direction leading outward from the university. They began to walk."
Seeing that they were on their way, Ron placed the cover back over the manhole before looking up to Tim above the trees. "Come on, Tim! I need to get my bike!"
"Will do, Ron!" Tim shouted back.
With that said, Ron ran toward the boys' dorm where his bike was parked in the nearest parking lot. Tim in the saucer followed.
"Good luck, guys," Monique said as she and Felix watched them leave before they both headed toward the girls' dorms.
"I'm bored," Debra mentally said.
It felt like hours has passed since the mysterious stranger has signed off, leaving her alone with her thoughts and feelings. She had eaten some fruit and drank some water. Yet boredom was sinking in for her. There was not much she could do, given she was quite trapped.
She felt her body was telling her something and realized the usual sign of the call of Nature. Looking around, she noticed the room didn't have any bathroom features, for it was just a regular room.
Looking up at the camera above the door, Debra held up a finger. "Excuse me? Do you happen to have a bathroom in this place? It will be quite unsanitary for me to relief myself in this room."
She heard the sound of the speaker being open on the other end. "I figured sooner or later this would happen," the stranger said in the calm matter he always used. "The human body can't hold in for more than the required 24 hours we need to keep you detained. Your escorts will be there shortly to accompany you to the lavatory and back."
Surely enough, a few minutes later, the thick steel door opened to reveal her escorts. Two big men, unshaven, looked quite mean looking. They were the typical goons found at low-down bars.
"Follow these men, Miss Tsuda," the voice said. "And please, do not try to attempt to escape. It would be fruitless."
As she rose from the bed and approached the door, the men gave a wide berth on either side of the door as she exited. Then one of them gestured to follow him. She was led through a wide corridor with the other man taking up the rear. She saw the corridor also has concrete walls and ceiling. It was well lit with lights on the ceiling compare to her room with only one light bulb. Various switches and other electrical features could be seen on the walls.
They passed many doors similar to the one of her room. Yet when they passed a T intersection, she noticed there were double steel doors, instead of one, opposite of the corridor that starts the top junction of the T. It was a sign that those doors must lead to another major area of this structure. "Maybe it leads outside," she mentally reasoned.
A minute later, the man stopped besides a simple steel door that didn't appeared to be as thick compare to the others. He gestured to it, and Debra opened the knob to find a small lavatory inside. There was just enough room for a toilet and sink she saw as she turned on the single light.
Closing the door, she immediately went about to relief herself on the toilet. As she sat, she looked about. She was disappointed that the air vents were small as her room. Yet her mind was thinking that this could be her chance to escape. Finishing, Debra cleaned herself, make sure she was presentable, and left the small restroom.
As she left, the young woman seized the moment. She brought a quick kick into the stomach of the man who led her, knocking him down. Just as the second man was reacting, she was upon him with a right punch in the face and quick left elbow into the chest, knocking him down. She raced past the second man, down the corridor, to the double doors.
"Yes!" she exclaimed in her head as she reached the doors, her hand touching one of the two doorknobs.
Her body jerked as she felt a surge of electricity flowed through her, making her teeth grit. Her mind was loosing consciousness.
"I told you should not think of escaping, Miss Tsuda," she heard the stranger's voice from above as she felt the electricity stopped. She fell to her knees, realizing that she should have known hidden cameras would have watched her.
"You bastard," Debra harshly whispered before loosing consciousness altogether, her body falling to the floor.
To be continue in Chapter II