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It started on a Tuesday. Dr. Drakken was fingering his gold medal again. His finger slowly traced the engraving around it, Fides fortitudio fastio. Faith, courage, dignity, huh? He sighed as he flipped to the reverse of the medal and stared at the engraving of the world. It seemed odd, at least to a super villain like Dr. Drakken. He had saved the world. And this trinket that the world leaders honored him with is testimony that he was a hero. Like Kim Possible. He shuddered in disgust at the thought.
It was an odd feeling in his guts. He'd always been known as the loser, the outcast and the one who'd never amount to anything despite his PhD. in robotics and micro circuitry. Socially inept and physically feeble, perhaps Dr. Drakken was the epitome of mediocrity. But this past recent days had changed him. In the advent of the Lowardian assault on Earth, he had emerged as an unlikely champion, formulated a plan to stop the rampaging war machines, played a crucial role in defeating the would-be invaders and got the girl.
Got the girl, huh? He looked up to his desk, and there was the picture of Shego and him, standing hip to hip, arms locked, during the award ceremony, which he had nicely framed up in a picture frame that his mom bought for him four years ago. He never had a need for picture frames; there were only so many pictures a super villain can keep as memories. In between running from the law, escaping exploding lairs and expecting the eventual double-cross from partner rivals, there wasn't much time to stop and smell the pansies.
But this one was worth stopping for.
He stared intently at the picture, trying to remember what he felt like at that exact moment. That brief moment of exhilarating pride that got him giddy with excitement as everyone applauded. It was that perfect moment that he'd always dreamed, but something was missing. Was it because he had finally done something right? Or that his plans worked? Or that he had finally gotten the recognition that he'd always wanted?
His focus shifted to Shego's face. She wasn't looking straight at the camera, but rather demurely towards him, as she lowered her head slightly and a coy smile playing on her lips. She'd never look so proud of him before. He found himself smiling, as his finger traced the outline of the smile of those black glossy lips. Maybe, he wasn't didn't want respect from the world. Maybe, he just wanted respect from her, his world.
That made it all the much harder for what he was about to say to her.
He gently sat the picture on his table and turned off the table lamp. Getting up, he strode unsteadily out his study, towards her quarters. He had to tell her anyway.
He stood blankly at her door, his memorized speech failing him in the deep chasms of tumultuous doubt. Finally he just gave up; he knew he would have to do this anyway. He raised his small trembling hand and knocked nervously on the door. And waited. It seemed to take forever, maybe she was asleep. Maybe he should do this tomorrow morning.
Maybe there was a low hiss as the door automatically slid open.
She stood there, in a green and black pajamas, looking mildly annoyed. "What is it, Dr. D?"
"Shego, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Can this wait until tomorrow?" She said with a hint of annoyance.
"It's about us."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. Without a word, she tossed her sleek onyx hair back and walked back into her room and sat by her dresser, looking expectantly at him. Taking that as an invitation, he nervously stepped into the room.
"You know, Shego, I've been thinking. I don't think I want to do this anymore." His words sound serious for a man used to whining.
"What do you mean?" Rising hostility was etched into her voice.
"I'm going to give up my efforts in taking over the world," Drakken declared with a little more conviction in his voice.
"Finally realized you're not very good at it, huh?" The sneer in her voice made him wince.
"No, I don't think it's for me. After the Lowardian incident, I'd like to re-examine my life. I'm going to hang up my gloves, sell off my lairs and dismiss my henchmen. Then I'm going to retire somewhere nice and warm, and find something else to occupy my time. Invent a little from time to time, slow down and find what's really important to me," He explained.
"So while you're having your mid-life crisis, what happens to me?" She asked dangerously.
"I… I would like you to come with me," Dr. Drakken looked expectantly at her.
She continued to stare him down for a moment.
"That's all fine and well for you, Dr. D," She sneered viciously. "But in case you didn't know, you're the hero of the world, with pardons for all your previous crimes, and an honorary citizen in seven countries. Your inventions will guarantee you a bargaining chip for every crime you've ever committed. Me? I'm still only an international thief. There are a couple of countries who'd like nothing less than me to disappear in a dark prison, never to see daylight again."
"I know, but…" Drakken pleaded. "I won't agree to any of that, unless they extend the same offer to you."
"Like that'll work," Sarcasm dripped through her lips.
"I know, and if it doesn't work, we could always change our identities… Disappear… Anything." He pleaded with her.
"Look, you're asking me to give up my career, my reputation, all for what? Retirement?" She spat out that last word viciously. "I'm 28, and you're asking me to run and hide like a coward from the police for the rest of my life! The very same police that speaks my name in fear!"
"No… I'm not saying that. Well maybe I am. But don't you think that we had enough?" Drakken asked.
"There's always something more to steal. More gold, more money, more diamonds! You can never have enough," She sneered at him. "Or are you afraid? Afraid that this is the pinnacle of your 'achievements'." She emphasized those quotation marks with her hands. "Failing to take over the world, the best you could do is save it. And now you are afraid that you'd fail at whatever you do next, and then everyone will forget that you ever were a hero, and remember you as what you really are, a zero!"
"Hurtful words, Shego! I don't want to do this anymore! Look at WarHawk and Warmonga. How did it end for them? I… It's not how I want to go," Drakken's voice cracked a little.
"Fine! Be a coward! Run! Do whatever you want to do! I'll find someone else who'll appreciate my services more!" Shego glared angrily at him.
"I always thought we'd be together to the end," Drakken said quietly.
"This is the end! I'm terminating my contract with you," Shego got up from her chair. "Now get out of my room!"
"Shego, please, I want you to come with me," Drakken stood a little straighter.
"Why?" She hissed angrily.
"Because…" He cleared his throat hurriedly.
"What?" She snapped back.
"Because I want you to." His eyes gazed longingly at her face, and for a brief moment there was a crack in her contorted mask of rage.
"No, never!" She growled, returning to her angry scowl. "I don't want a typical normal boring life! You don't get that adrenaline shock from washing dishes or doing laundry. I'm going to keep doing this, until I've stole everything in the world, or the law catches up to me."
"That's what I'm afraid of, Shego. What if… What if they finally catch you? Or they corner you in a building, with the SWAT team surrounding you? What then?" He blinked hard.
"I always wanted to go out like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, jumping out from behind the bar, charging and never giving up unlike a certain sniveling blue coward," She spat at him. "Admit it! You're scared and you're a coward."
"Shego," He stepped a little closer to the hostile woman. "I'm giving up because I'm scared."
"Yeah, I knew it – " She was cut short by him hushing her.
"I'm scared of losing you," He finally said.
She glowered quietly at him.
"I don't want anything to happen to you. I thought that we've been through so much together, that you could have died many times over, and it would be my fault," Drakken confessed.
"Look –" Again she was cut short by Drakken raising his hand.
"I thought I've finally found someone I could care about. And I wondered why I've never met her sooner. And now that I've found her, I don't ever want to lose her," He continued.
"You're an idiot!" She finally yelled. "A dolt! Incompetent fool! Moron!"
"Don't you get it? I love you," Drakken finally admitted.
A hard stinging slap was delivered across his left cheek. "Don't you ever say that!" She shouted angrily.
"I…" A lump formed in his throat. "I'm sorry you don't feel the same." He turned around to walk out the door, defeated.
"Wait," A hand grabbed his shoulder. "You don't get it, do you?" The hard edge was gone in her voice.
Drakken turned around to see a completely different woman. She looked sad and downcast, not the same raging fury who had slapped him a moment ago.
"Never ever say you love me, in such a cowardly manner," She said. "Understand?"
Drakken shook his head slowly, unwilling to take his eyes off his green sidekick.
"Look at Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable."
"Who's Ron Stoppable?"
"The buffoon!" She sighed. "Anyway, have you ever seen the buffoon not around Kim Possible? Maybe once or twice, but do you know ever think why he follows her everywhere she goes? Ever figured for a moment that in the hero line of work, it's a hundred times more dangerous than being a super villain? At least heroes always give you a chance and tell you to surrender before they take you down. Then usually they take you away, harmlessly in a police van, to some prison. Villains don't give you that option before they blast away with lasers. Villains just go to prison, heroes die. So you understand?"
"Not one bit," Drakken said sheepishly.
"For a mad genius, you're definitely lacking the genius part," Shego rolled her eyes. "The thing is you don't ever see the buffoon hide, or run away or disappear. He's always behind Possible, backing her up every step of the way. They are having it harder than us and yet they're still together! They could have
died many more times than we could, dealing with all those nutjobs and maniacs out there. But that never stopped them from going out there to do what Possible wants to do, ever!"
"What does Kim Possible and the buffoon have to do with us?"
"Nothing! Let me spell it out so that you can understand. Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable could have died. They could have lost each other. Because of the love they have for each other, I am sure they are afraid that one day one of them might die. But it has never stopped them, or faltered them for an instant! Because he loves her so much that he will never stop her from doing what she believes in!"
"Then…" Realization dawned on his face.
"Yes! I'm saying, I don't care what happens to me, but I would not ever stand in the way of the dreams of the man I love. Because if he gave that up even for me, then he's not the same man I remember."
"Oh." The confession startled him. "Love?"
"Umm… yeah," Shego looked away to avoid his eyes.
"I didn't know you felt that way," Drakken stammered. Then realizing what he just said, he quickly corrected, "I mean, I didn't know you'd support my dreams all the way."
"Now you know." She replied. "So if you want to go on trying to take over the world or…"
"Thanks, Shego. Look, I need to think things through first. Good night."
"Dr. D?"
He looked up wonderingly.
"Would you like to stay here for tonight?" She smiled coyly.
He smiled happily at her invitation, before pulling her in for an embrace. He whispered into her ear, "We're going to be together to the end, right?"
"To the very end."
Author's notes
Okay, I was wondering whether I mislead readers initially with Shego's hostility. I sort of imagined this to be how Shego deals with her relationships. Headstrong, angry and with a lot of insults, even though she means well. I think when she talks about all the things that matter to her, her reputation, greed and contract with Drakken, it's a bluff for Drakken to quit worrying about the small things and focus on what really matters to him, which are his dreams for world conquest. I thought that maybe in the beginning
Shego seemed too self-centered, but it's all a ploy for her to goad Drakken into being self-centered too because she supporting him all the way.
So this is basically my take on Drakken's future after Graduation, which I think hasn't really been taken a look at. I thought that maybe Bonnie and Clyde would be a better title, but I don't know. They did not have the dramatic ending that Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid had, and I wanted that as an emphasis, the busting out from behind the bar and charging to their deaths. It was the way Shego would have wanted to go down. And while Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid were two guys, I think that we could easily overlook that, and focus of the partnership that these two had which is a better parallel with Drakken and Shego. Just my thoughts of this.
And if you're not satisfied and think Bonnie and Clyde is a better pair because of their love interest, then let me remind you of a movie called Brokeback Mountain that involved two gay cowboys. Yeah, spin that however you like.
Yeah, this is a brief sidetrack from my current story, The Human Element. I apologize for that, and the reason is I can't find my beta for over a week. I hope he e-mails me soon, I have a couple of chapters that needs a quick look, and I need someone to provide decent comments and feedback.