One Size Doesn't Fit All

Chapter Eight

A Step Back

Lydia sauntered down the long corridor, occasionally glancing at the fine paintings and priceless golden statues on their white marbled pedestals and scoffing at them. She didn't like it when people showed off. At least not when it came to material possessions.

She liked to show off her ferocity and deadliness to her adversaries. Seeing a person's life fade into nothing while she watched. It was better then getting high, sex, and going to Disneyland combined.

If it were her secret lair, she wouldn't be so gaudy. A few average touches here and there and maybe a nice training room, but it wasn't her lair. It was her boss's style and she had to live with it. She was being paid enough to ignore it. All of her sisters were being paid quite handsomely to sit quietly and listen to orders.

Lydia enjoyed being an assassin, as did all of her comrades. They had all been employed by this man three years ago and had been respected in villain inner circles for being silent, but deadly efficient at their jobs. He wanted them for protection and to keep any unwanted guests out of his hair.

However, that all changed when Team Possible foiled his plans and they were all arrested. Lydia was separated from her clan and was put in a jail cell with some pathetic murderer.

Some might consider what she did murder, but she always thought of what she did as above that. Murder is senseless killing with no real style. What she did was art.

Her cellmate didn't last very long. She tried to muscle Lydia and make her what her cellmate called "her bitch", but that only resulted in her unfortunate accident.

Shower heads had a nasty tendency to stab people and slit their throats. Ten times.

Lydia was delighted when she was given a new cellmate. This woman was much nicer and didn't try to bully her around. At least she lasted longer. It actually took the guards a few more times before they decided to let her have her own cell.

She was so happy to finally let her legs stretch with no one to bother her beauty sleep. She contemplated escape, but something told her waiting would be much more beneficial.

She was happy she had waited because now she was back with all her sisters, the only people who truly knew her, and the last employer they had before they were put in jail had rehired them, at triple their rates, to help him exact his revenge. They all wanted some vengeance as well. He also gave them the gift of the gods. Now they were even more deadly and nearly unstoppable. No one could challenge them.

Lydia stopped outside the two oak doors at the end of the corridor. She took a small breath and opened the wooden sentinels. The smell of cigar smoke and expensive brandy instantly hit her nostrils and the sound of an old record playing a classical concerto could be heard as she proceeded into the dimly lit room.

She stopped a few feet from the winged chair, where her employer was casually swirling his brandy by the fireplace.

"Sir, there has been a development."

Baron Roger Steele stopped swirling his glass. "Oh? What development is that?" He spoke with a calm demeanor and looked like some cheap Bond villain, but Lydia replied calmly.

"It seems that not all of the nanites were recovered from Felix's lab. Team Possible managed to find some cloth and they're attempting to get it analyzed as we speak."

"Well," Steele said sipping his brandy, "I don't think I'm ready for them to know what's going on just yet. I'm still having too much fun with them. Get someone to relieve the cloth from Team Possible's possession."

"Yes sir," Lydia replied.

"How is Felix doing?"

"He's ramping up production and Monique's designs are flying off the shelves. Miss Dresden says sales are up fifteen percent this month alone. Everything is going according to plan, Baron."

Steele smiled, his face finally giving a sinister look and only being enhanced by the shadows given off from the fireplace.

"Excellent. Soon Team Possible will be truly dead and buried."

Kim looked at her parent's house like it was a barricaded fort she was about to storm. It hadn't changed much in the years she had been gone. A new coat of paint that now gave the house a warm light green and lavender look to it, but nothing drastic. She also noticed no holes or patched roofs to the house. The tweebs hadn't been over for a while. If she remembered correctly, they were still in Africa working on engineering crops to farm in the most inhospitable conditions.

Kim, Yori, and Ron had changed out of their mission clothes and into something more casual. They wanted to make a good impression on their parents.

She glanced at Ron and Yori next to her. Yori looked excited, as she was thrilled to finally meet Ron's parents for the first time, but Ron looked as anxious and terrified as she did.

Zita had already informed their parents of their arrival and went to go pick up Megan from her house and drive her to the Possible residence.

Kim walked slowly down the pathway to the front door, her feet feeling like they had cement shoes on, which she had experienced first hand more then once. She stopped at the bright red door and stared at it, like it was a contest to see who would blink first, but she finally put her shaky hand up and braced herself as she knocked.

The door opened and James and Anne appeared. Kim's face lit up with excitement and panic. Besides a little more grey in their hair, Kim's parents looked exactly the same. She was speechless being face to face with them after three years. She didn't know what to say and she didn't know what they would say.

"Welcome home Kimmie," Anne smiled and hugged her daughter tightly.

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad," Kim managed to get out in between her mother's strong embrace.

"It's good to see my Kimmie-cub back home," James added, hugging his daughter warmly.

"Daaad," Kim groaned, noticing Ron's sly smile out of the corner of her eye.

He let his daughter go and turned to Ron, looking sternly at him.

"Ronald," James said firmly, but dutifully as he shook his hand and smiled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dr. P" he replied warmly.

"It's nice to see you again Ron," Anne said, hugging him with the same power Kim had felt.

"This is my girlfriend, Yori," he replied, introducing her after he was able to breath.

Yori walked over to Kim's parents and bowed deeply before shaking their hands. "It's nice to meet you."

Anne and James politely introduced themselves and let everyone in.

Kim looked around and was happy to see everything looked the same. It made her feel more at home and not like she was in some stranger's house, which was kinda how she felt at first. She still wondered when her parent's kind attitude would disappear and be replaced with one of disappointment and bitterness. Probably when they were alone. No use making a scene.

"I'm sorry this isn't a social visit guys," said Kim.

Anne waved her hand dismissively. "Zita explained everything. We understand and if this clue can help you find out who kidnapped Monique and Felix then we'll be glad to help in anyway we can. Ron, your parents called us a few minutes ago and will be here any minute."

Kim noticed Ron react. He seemed tense, which was exactly how she felt. She was still waiting for her parents to show their disdain towards her for not keeping in touch with them.

A few silent minutes went by before the front door opened. Carol Stoppable came rushing into the house, looking like a woman possessed. Carl Stoppable was still in the doorway when she came at Ron.

Ron was certain that he was going to get whapped by his mother for his sudden departure and lack of constant communication, but instead she wrapped her arms around his waist and let the tears loose.

"Don't you ever leave without telling me where you're going. You here me? I'm still your mother dammit! I worry about you," she sobbed loudly.

Ron held her close. "I'm sorry Mom, it won't happen again," he said softly.

Carl hugged his son after Carol finally let go, which was a chore and took a while.

"Why don't we go into the kitchen to talk and catch up until Megan and Zita arrive? It'll still be a while," James suggested to Kim.

Kim followed her parents, expecting the worst to be coming. This was it. She was about to get the verbal lashing that only her mother and father could give her. This terrified her more then any villain could.

As she sat down, facing her parents, her anxiety grew as they smiled at her like some of the villains she encountered did before they tried to end her life.

"So how are things at the embassy?" Anne asked, sweetly without the slightest hint of malice.

"Um… fine," Kim answered, not expecting that response. "The Ambassador was brainwashed and tried to kill me before escaping, but other than that fine." She was so shocked she didn't realize her statement sounded very casual and not at all anxious or worried.

Her parents just smiled at her, as if that completely random statement was normal, which in Kim's world it was, but still she was expecting some kind of emotion from her parents. They were just smiling, waiting to hear what she would say next. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Why aren't you guys mad at me?"

"What do you mean dear?" Anne asked.

"I mean you haven't once scolded me for not keeping in touch with you. You've been so nice and kind," Kim replied.

"We know how busy you've been. The work at the embassy, you saving the world, we don't expect you to check in with us every five minutes," James said. "You're a grown woman Kimmie. You make your own choices. Even if we would like to hear from you often, we know that in the end we can't hold your hand anymore."

Kim couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was so scared about talking to her parents for fear that they would be mad at her, but they weren't upset in the least. They gave her space and let her make her own choices. In the end, the only person stopping her was herself.

Kim stood up and embraced her parents, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry I didn't keep in touch. I was so afraid that seeing or talking to you guys would bring back memories of Ron and at the time I wasn't ready for that, but now I'm good. I'm going to talk to you guys everyday if I can and I'm going to come visit for the holidays. Thanksgiving is coming up in a couple months. I'll make sure I'm at the table, with fork and knife in hand."

"That would be lovely Kim," Anne replied, stroking her daughter's hair. A few tears ran down her cheeks as well, which she quietly wiped away. She missed her daughter deeply, even if she didn't want Kim to see that. She was an adult now with her own choices and life to make.

"Jim and Tim said they'd be over for Thanksgiving too. They've almost finished their big project in Africa. In a few months they said that every desert will be farmable land thanks to their new hybrid plants. Plus, they're dating a couple of scientists they're working with and they've been dying to meet the famous Kim Possible," James added.

"I can't wait," Kim said, feeling like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "You know, I have some time off right now since the Ambassador's kidnapping has put the embassy's affairs on hold right now. I wouldn't might setting up my base of operations here in Middleton for this mission. It would give me a place to recharge my batteries and spend more time with you. To at least make up a little for what a jerk I've been."

Anne and James beamed. "That would be lovely dear," Anne said. "Your room is just the way you left it. I wouldn't dream of you sleeping in a hotel."

"Thanks Mom," Kim replied, feeling free at last.

Meanwhile in the living room, just out of earshot from the Possible family, Ron and Yori sat across from Ron's parents, who from their expressions didn't look happy. They certainly didn't look mad or angry, but the had no smile and their eyes seemed dim.

Rufus was on the coffee table watching the event unfold and unsure of what was going to happen. He had received a warm welcome from Ron's parents, but as soon as they sat down, it was a different story.

Yori knew it had something to do with her. Anytime Ron was in a relationship with someone, his parents were very critical. Even Kim got the third degree for a while before she was accepted from the stories Ron told.

It made sense to her. Ron's parents were very protective and didn't want Ron to get hurt and they were never able to meet her until now. For all she knew, they probably thought she had turned Ron against them, which was ridiculous.

She squeezed Ron's hand lightly. Ron cleared his throat and decided to break the silence, now that he had Yori's silent sign of support.

"Mom, Dad," he said. "This is Yori Tatsuyami."

"It is an honor to meet Ron's parents," Yori followed. She stood and bowed deeply to Carl and Carol, who each gave her a small nod of the head. Their expressions didn't change.

Yori sat back down and held Ron's hand again. They glanced at each other, unsure of what to do next.

Then after what seemed like forever, Carol stood up and her expression changed almost immediatly. She opened her arms and smiled as Ron and Yori were enveloped.

Carl followed suit, which left Ron and Yori a little confused, but also relieved that the interrogation never happened.

"I'm sorry for the cold shoulder a second ago," said Carol. "We wanted to see the truth in your eyes before we said anything. I want my Ronnie to be happy and clearly by the way you two look at each other you two are."

Ron grinned and returned his mother's hug. "I'm sorry for not coming to visit."

"You better be," Carol scoffed. Three years and barely a phone call? For months I thought you were dead!"

"Now Carol, don't exaggerate," Carl replied. "She was very worried about you Ronald."

"I know and I deeply apologize. It took longer then I thought to get my affairs in order and then I was just making excuses because I didn't want to face the past."

"Well the important thing is that you're here now and I hope you will stay for a while before leaving," said Carol.

"Right now Yori, Kim and I need to finish this mission. However, I think we can stay here in Middleton. Traveling back and forth to Yamanouchi seems a bit counter productive and there's nothing we need to do there right now."

Yori and Rufus agreed.

"Then it's decided," Carol exclaimed joyously. "You and Yori will stay with us in the guest room, which is actually your old room Ronnie. I'll have to show Yori here some of your old pictures. I'm sure she'll want to meet the two year-old you."

Ron's face turned a few shades of red, which made Yori and Carol giggle.

Luckily that time would have to come later as Zita came in with Megan Renton. The expert nano scientist was carrying a medium sized suitcase and a laptop bag was draped over her left shoulder.

She set her stuff down to hug Ron and Kim. She bowed and shook Yori's hand and scratched Rufus's ear in that special place he loved.

"Let's not waste any more time," she said, sounding serious. "Let's see this cloth."

Ron handed her the black cloth they had found inside the hanger. Megan looked at it intently for a few seconds. She held it up to the light, felt the fabric carefully with her fingers, and even smelled it!

Everyone knew to let Megan have her space and work, no matter how odd her methods seemed.

"Give me a few minutes."

Megan moved to the kitchen and unpacked her stuff. Inside the suitcase was a high tech looking microscope, but it had several other devices attached to the apparatus that no one recognized. She opened her laptop and connected the microscope to it and began typing.

Everyone else moved to the living room where they made small chit chat with each other. It was pleasant and Kim and Ron couldn't help but have flashbacks to parties they'd had with their families and friends just like this.

However, those memories were painful due to the fact that it involved Ron and Kim being in love with each other.

Dammit, Kim thought, I just got over this crap.

Why am I feeling this now? Ron asked himself, his chest feeling a bit tight.

Before either of them could dwell on it any further, Megan called them into the kitchen.

Ron, Kim, Yori, Zita, and Rufus all reconvened with Felix's mom, who looked to be deep in thought.

"I can tell you two things right now. These are not my son's nanites and they are not designed to do the same function as his."

She showed them her computer screen where two images were side by side.

"The image on the right is a sample of Felix's nanite cloth and the image on the left is the sample you found today."

Felix's nanites looked like tiny metal ticks that were in a series of vertical lines and were spread far apart from each other. The other sample was a very different story.

The nanites looked more like spiders with smaller bodies and longer legs. They were much smaller then Felix's nanites, at least half the size. Their configuration was also much more complex. They were tightly knitted together in a collection of vertical, diagonal, horizontal and wavy patterns. There seemed to be more nanites then cloth.

"There are only seven people in the world that can create nanites this complex. Felix and myself are among them. The rest I know very well, but I can't imagine them kidnapping my son or Monique," Megan said with a hint of uncertainty.

"Why are they in this clustered pattern?" Yori asked. Everyone else wondered about that as well.

"The way they are configured is a sign of their function. These nanites were designed to be on as much of the cloth as possible and cover the most ground. Their design is also based on who created them and what they are programmed to do."

"Do you have any idea what they might be programmed to do?" Ron gently pressed, hoping they were getting close.

Megan shook her head. "The only way to know what their function is is to crack one open and find out."

"But Felix's nanites had a failsafe that prevented any tampering. Surely these have the same thing. How can bypass that? Kim asked.

Megan smiled. "Kim, my son is a genius, but even he can't do everything. I've cracked his nanites and I'm sure I can crack these. I'll even know who built them. Every nano scientist has a trademark they leave on their work. We just need special equipment designed for nanite surgery. There are only two places on earth with that equipment and you are in luck. My lab in right outside of Middleton."

Everyone felt excited. Finally they were going to get some actual answers!

Everyone packed up and readied for the trip. Kim and Ron said their goodbyes to their parents.

"I'll see you after we're done," Kim said to Anne and James, giving them a big hug.

"You go get them Kimmie," they replied softly.

"I'll expect you home for dinner. Tonight's meatloaf," Carol beamed, holding Ron in a tighter grip then he cared for. "Yori as well."

"I love you too Mom, " he said, finally prying her arms off of him.

Yori extended her hand, but Carol enveloped her in an equally tight hug. Yori felt welcomed and was very happy that she was being accepted into Ron's family so quickly.

Ron smiled at the sight, but for some reason he felt uneasy and wasn't sure why.

The drive to Megan's lab took about an hour, but the sun had yet to start sinking. The six-story building stood alone in the middle of a clearing of the forest. It was surrounded by three tall walls of brick and concrete, and a chain linked fence topped with barbed wire.

The entrance was manned by three armed guards. They stopped the group and when they saw Megan and her keycard, they waved the rest through. They all parked and began walking towards the building.

In Megan's hand was the black cloth, which was being held inside a lockbox.

"You get trouble often?" Kim asked, motioning to the walls and guards at the front gate.

Megan chuckled, "Can't be too careful. My work isn't that sensitive, but I just like to be safe."

In a moment everything seemed to stand still as a massive explosion erupted the quiet air and turned it into a frenzy.

Everyone was blown back by the blast and the heat was very intense. Yori and Kim were tossed over the parked cars, while Ron's side collided with a car door, leaving a small dent.

He struggled to get up, but his body was racked in pain. His ears were ringing, he smelled something sickly burning, and his eyes were struggling to keep focus.

He saw Zita a few feet away from him. Her hair covered her face and she wasn't moving. He spotted Megan further away, also motionless. Next to her body was the lockbox.

He suddenly saw a pair of feet walking towards Megan. He squinted his eyes, trying to see who the feet belonged to. His vision was still very fuzzy, but he had a few clear glimpses and he recognized the figure.

It was Dexter of the Oh Boyz! At first he didn't believe it, but after a few more clear looks it was definitely him. He casually walked over to the lockbox and picked it up. He glanced around as if still looking for something until his gaze fell on Ron. He smiled and gave him a friendly hand wave before walking away at a brisk pace.

Ron then fell unconscious.

To Be Continued.

Wow, I can't believe how long it's been! Two years pass by very fast. I've been going through a lot in my life and unfortunately my writing time paid the price. I am now hopeful that I will be writing more often. I am planning to get a new chapter out each month if I can. As I've said many times before, I am not stopping nor will I ever stop writing. I still have many ideas and don't wish to stop yet.

Thank you for your patience and I would like to thank Katsumara, CajunBear73, Readerjunkie, James MacPherson, Eddy13, Joe Stoppinghem, Loren, and Shelby for reviewing and sending the kind words my way. Please look forward to next chapter soon!

KingOAnime.