Authors Note: Welcome to my latest story. As you can probably guess, this will be a Shego-centric fic. There are a lot of unknowns in Shego's background from before she teamed up with Dr. Drakken. In fact there's a lot about Team Go and Go City itself that was never mentioned in the show. This is just my version of what took place, and what turned Shego from a hero into a villain. Hopefully by the end of the story I can leave some readers saying "whoa" and stuff. Enjoy.
And thanks to my friend Brandon for beta reading. Your sense of style is impeccable, and no, those pants don't make you look fat at all.
Disclaimer: I don't own Kim Possible.
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Thought of the day:
Life's so much easier when you've got someone to blame.
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Sarah's gaze was drawn to her own eyes as she stared into the mirror before her.
No, not Sarah. Not anymore.
She had been given a new name by her brothers. Or rather one brother in particular. He was the oldest and therefore he was the leader. As if she wanted to be a part of his little team. He had always been a nerd. He played with action figures and card games into his late teens. And the video games were even worse. He must be living out his most vivid fantasies at the moment. But one person's dream was another's nightmare. That's how she thought of it at least.
She had been given a new name. Shego. They all shared the style of the name. The brother in question had taken the name of Hego. How original. Because she was a girl and he was a guy. She never let her sarcasm and venom hide when they discussed it. The young man deserved a medal for his brilliance. And she knew exactly where he could shove it once he received it. A rare smile came to her lips at the thought. He probably wouldn't mind so long as he got to keep the medal. He would probably still wear it. Life was so much easier for him. His skin hadn't changed color. Neither had the twins. She felt no anger toward them though. They were still only children, not even teenagers yet. To them this was the coolest thing in the world. But as she had thought earlier…
Shego couldn't help but look at her pale green-tinted skin. It amazed her that she still couldn't get used to it. She had been this way for years now, ever since that fateful afternoon up in the tree house with her brothers. Why did she have to change? Why couldn't it be one of them? She didn't want to be some comic book freak. That was a guy's wish, not hers.
Seven years. Seven damn years of being a freak like this. But at least high school was over now. She had graduated a couple of years earlier. She was now twenty years old. She was an adult. And because she was an adult she could now make decisions for herself. The first thing she decided was that she was going to take online courses rather than go to an actual college campus. The people there wouldn't know her and would no doubt be scared of what they saw. At least this way she could feel secure in her own home.
But Henry, no, she corrected herself. Hego, felt like she should be doing something more with her life. She had been gifted with great powers. They all had. He claimed it was their destiny to do good in the world, to make a difference in people's lives. He had proposed the idea of forming a superhero team like the ones that were in the comic books and movies. She had laughed in his face at the whole idea. Years of living her life with green skin had done that to her. She remembered how sweet she had once been. Maybe because back then she had only been a kid herself. Maybe all people went through the rebellious, angry-at-everyone phase. Hego certainly thought so. He told her she would snap out of it in a few months now that she was out of high school. She didn't believe that to be true.
It was one thing to be a teenager. It was quite another for your friends to begin to distance themselves from you because of how you had changed. Her parents had told her that it's natural for friends to drift apart, especially in high school. People found themselves, became interested in new things, met new friends, all that good stuff. But Shego knew the truth. She knew that it was because of her skin, her hands, her glow…
She had every right to be angry. That comet had ruined her life. She had once wanted to be a teacher. But she couldn't imagine that anymore. She had already been judged once by children because of her appearance. How could she ever stand in front of them for a career? These were the kinds of questions that kept her up at night, the kind that made her want to punch things, the kind that made her cry. Even if she did successfully get her degree online she knew she could never go and teach a classroom full of students. Either they, or her own mind, would make it unbearable for her.
She heard Hego's voice. He was calling her down to the kitchen table. They were supposed to be having their first team meeting. Apparently it hadn't registered with him that she wasn't coming. She wanted no part of his stupidity.
Her hair had not always been black. Her eyes had not always been green. There were still times she didn't recognize herself when she woke up in the morning. Some girls changed their hair color several times a year depending on how they felt. Shego had once considered doing this. But keeping her hair its natural brown color made her look even more disgusting than she already thought she was. Brown hair combined with green skin was not very appealing. Black and green on the other hand was much easier to tolerate. After all, black went with everything. She had taken it a step further and regularly used black lipstick and nail polish.
Hego's voice called out again. This time it was louder, closer. She figured he had climbed the stairs to retrieve her. The knock on the bathroom door confirmed her thoughts.
"Shego? We're all waiting for you," said the muffled voice from the other side of the door.
She glared angrily at the door. She didn't know why. It wasn't like he could see her.
"I told you I'm not coming," she growled.
"Oh come on!" he moaned. "At least one meeting. You have to see how cool this will be!"
She rolled her eyes. He sounded so pathetic when he whined like that. It was another one of those things that put a rare smile on her face. Perhaps it would be worth it just to go down there and disagree with everything he said. Seeing him get upset might really brighten up her mood.
"Fine. I'm coming."
"Okay. We'll be at the Go Table."
She snorted a cynical laugh. The Go Table. Go this, Go that. Everything had Go in it. He had really taken his comic books to heart. She remembered browsing through one of his Fearless Ferret comics. It seemed like every other word in it was ferret. Everything the man owned had ferret in its name. And now Hego was becoming the same way.
She let out a sigh as she opened the bathroom door and stepped outside. As she went down the stairs she thought about what she was going to say to get under her older brother's skin. It wasn't hard when it came to mocking his superhero fantasies. Maybe a few choice insults to his Go Table, his Go Cell phone, his Go Deodorant. But everything became suddenly clear when she stepped into the kitchen.
Her four brothers were sitting there at the table, each dressed in a ridiculous outfit. Henry was clad in a tight black and blue cat suit. Painfully, it left little to the imagination. Shego almost wanted to gag and turn her head rather than look upon that repulsive outfit. It wasn't only a crime to her eyes; it was a crime to fashion as well. What was worse was that her other brothers were dressed like that as well. Michael wore black and purple of the same style. He was only a couple years younger than her. He should have known better. Again she couldn't blame William and Wesley as they showed off their black and red outfits. They weren't even teenagers yet. They didn't know any better. At their age the idea of being a superhero was the epitome of cool.
Shego burst out laughing after a few seconds of taking in the sight in front of her. She didn't even need to plan it. It all came so naturally. She couldn't control herself as Hego scowled at her.
"Shego!" he yelled.
If he was supposed to be intimidating when he yelled it didn't work. Who could ever be afraid of someone dressed in a ridiculous outfit like that? It only encouraged her to keep laughing.
Mego frowned. His skin, like hers, had changed when the comet struck. He had been stuck with pale purple skin since he was eleven years old. He was still in high school, but unlike her he was not shunned because of it. His friends thought it was so cool that one of their friends had super powers. They had actually embraced him while Shego's friends had shunned her. Boys and girls could be so different.
After several more seconds her laughter finally died down.
"Wow. What are you guys doing?" she asked with a hint of amusement still evident in her voice.
"These are our superhero costumes," Mego said with pride.
"Yeah, aren't they awesome?" one of the Wegos asked.
She could tell that it was William who had spoken. She had known the identical twins their entire lives. What would be confusing to others was obvious for her.
"No offense guys… okay I'm totally lying. Much offense intended. Those have got to be the dumbest looking costumes I've ever seen."
"Why don't you try yours on first? Then see how dumb you think they are," Hego told her as he stood from the table.
Shego saw that he had picked up a green and black outfit identical to theirs. He was holding it in front of her and expected her to take it. She swatted it away from her.
"Yeah, sorry, not happening."
"But you have to! To be part of Team Go you have to wear the outfit!"
"Right, to be part of the team. And I'm not. Though I'm surprised you are, Michael. There's no 'I' in team after all. And you're as selfish as they get."
"The name is Mego, Shego," Mego frowned.
"Whatever. The point is I'm not a part of your little team. I just came down here to… well that's not important. Okay?"
"But-"
"No buts, Henry."
"Hego!"
"Fine, whatever, Hego," she said. The sarcasm in her voice when she had spoken his name was clear for everyone in the room to hear. "I said I would sit here and attend the meeting. It doesn't mean I'm going to be in a fundraising bake sale, or whatever lame, wannabe superhero stuff you have in mind."
"We are not doing a bake sale!"
"Don't get so defensive. There's nothing wrong with a man who can cook."
"I'm not defensive. You're making a mockery out of everything Team Go stands for."
"Oh really? And what would that be?"
Hego smiled as he set her outfit on the table and walked to a nearby window. He stared out of it for a few seconds before he began speaking.
"This city is troubled by crime. Gangs, drug dealers, common thieves… they all corrupt our beautiful home. The police can't handle everything alone," he said as he turned back to his siblings. "It is up to us to bring justice back to the streets of Go City! It is up to us to make the neighborhoods safe for kids to play in! Like what we had when we were younger!"
"And you're going to do this how…?" she wondered.
"Shego, we have been blessed with magnificent powers. I have the strength of Hercules, Mego can shink down to the size of an insect, and the Wegos can make almost infinite copies of themselves. And you, sister, can ignite your hands with fiery energy. You can shoot blasts of plasma at people. You can cut through almost any material. Just think what we can do with these abilities."
"A bingo hall for the elderly?"
"Will you stop making fun of our superhero team!" he whined. She actually heard his voice crack.
She laughed once more at his anger. It was so easy, yet so fun.
"Fine, go on."
"We're going to fight crime. Criminals will learn to fear the Go Team glow. If there's a robbery in progress we will stop the burglar in his tracks. If a person is being mugged we will beat up the thief. We will right every wrong, we will punish the wicked, we will help the helpless!"
Shego's frown had disappeared by now. What her older brother was suggesting was dangerous. Stop a robbery? Help an attack victim? People involved in those kinds of things usually had weapons. Knives… guns… things that could kill in an instant. What her brother was suggesting bordered on madness.
She was about to call him Henry when she stopped herself. She didn't want to make him even angrier and possibly more reckless than he was.
"Hego, what you're talking about sounds really dangerous. You can't be serious. You can get really hurt, even killed by getting involved with those kinds of people."
To her surprise, he began laughing. Mego soon joined in, followed by the twins. It was as if there was a private joke that they were all in on except for her. She watched him walk over to the counter and pick up a very large, sharp knife. He handed it to Mego, handle first.
"Mego, please demonstrate for our clueless sister."
"Sure," Mego agreed.
Shego's eyes widened in horror as she saw her younger brother take the knife and thrust it at Hego's torso. She screamed as the blade cut through the air in less than a second. Before her scream had even finished she saw another horrifying sight. Hego had punched the tip of the blade. But she didn't make a move to help him. He was actually laughing.
The stainless steel knife had once had a lifetime warranty. It would never bend, never break, never lose its sharp edge. Until now. Hego's fist had crumpled the blade like it was a piece of paper. There wasn't a drop of blood on him. Her brothers smiled at her as she regarded the ruined knife. She was struggling to think of something to say.
"But… what… how?" she stuttered.
"While you've been moping around all these years about your powers, we've embraced them," Hego explained. "We know what we can do. And we know what can, and can't hurt us. There isn't a whole lot out there that can stop me. We haven't tried bullets. But knives can't harm me. Neither can lead pipes, baseball bats, or bricks. I'm impervious to them as long as I use my super strength. I wouldn't be surprised if I could punch a bullet out of the air."
Hego and Mego both began chuckling a bit.
"Wow. Shego, the look on your face when I was thrusting the knife was just precious," Mego said. "Maybe you aren't cut out to be on the team after all."
For the first time in recent memory, Shego's anger got the better of her to the point that her hands erupted in a furious, green glow. She grabbed her younger brother by the front of his outfit and lifted him off of the ground.
"I'm tougher than any of you losers," she snarled. "And I could do this stupid little hero thing if I wanted to. The fact is that I just don't want to."
"Uh huh. Someone's in denial…"
Without a second though Shego threw her purple brother across the room. He landed in a heap against the wall. He winced as he stood up and rubbed his back.
"What was that for!" he yelled.
"For questioning your big sister. Like I said, I'm tougher than any of you. You think that you can take on criminals after how easily I just tossed you across the room?"
"Go ahead Shego, prove us wrong," Hego said as he picked up the outfit again. "Put it on and come along with us tonight. Show us how good you really are."
Shego looked the outfit and then her brother. Her eyes darted back and forth several times before she begrudgingly snatched the green and black cat suit from his hands. Her eyes narrowed at him when she saw the satisfied grin plastered to his face.
"Fine. I will prove you wrong. And after I do you'll see how stupid this whole idea is and you'll give up on it."
"We leave at ten. We're going downtown."
"Do mom and dad know we're going?"
"No. This is strictly Team Go business."
"Good."
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It was almost time to leave. Her brothers were discussing all kinds of strategies and game-plans that they had read about in comic books. They were comparing themselves to the heroes they had once idolized, the heroes that they wanted to become themselves. They would soon get the opportunity to show their mettle. But until then Shego decided that she would pass the time by watching some television.
She was lying lazily on the couch flipping through the channels. She yawned with boredom as she continued to scan for something decent to watch. Eventually she just settled on the evening news.
She failed to stifle another yawn when she realized that it was in the middle of a story about the city's mayor. Politics were not her favorite topic of discussion.
"-and Mayor Byrd responded to the allegations of misusing public funds and corruption in his office, calling them, quote, 'lies and unsubstantiated fantasy', unquote, by his political opponents. When asked about the current state of the infrastructure of Go City, he gave no comment."
Shego frowned. She knew all too well about what the report was referring to. The roads and expressways of Go City were riddled with potholes. It seemed as if on every other block that some of the street lights were broken. And this was in the good neighborhoods as well as the bad. She couldn't understand how the city could be in such poor shape when taxes had been raised for several years now.
"There was another robbery on the north side last night, making this the fifth such incident this month. The victims in each case have reported that the robbers appear to be gang members, often armed with knives and guns. While there has not been a fatality reported in any of the crimes, many residents in the area fear that it is only a matter of time until a tragedy occurs."
She hated hearing these kinds of stories. They depressed her so much. Thankfully she was raised and still lived in a good part of the city. Crime wasn't much of an issue in her neighborhood. But she still couldn't help but feel sorry for the victims of the robberies. She never wanted to feel the terror of being helpless like that. She looked down at her gloved hands. She knew that she would never need to feel like a victim. Her powers could outdo anything that a common thug could throw at her. Guns and knives could be twisted into scrap metal. Super-heated emerald plasma could make a mockery of even Kevlar body armor. Her brothers were wrong. She had been learning more about her powers.
This is what Hego wanted to stop. He wanted to stop the crime in the city. But how could he? Sure, he may have had super strength, but could that really do anything? She had seen what he could do with a knife, but could he stop the robberies on the north side? What would happen if he was face to face with several weapon-wielding gang members? He shouldn't be responsible for dealing with them. None of them should be, despite their powers. It was a job for the police. The police that didn't seem to exist anymore.
She didn't understand why the police weren't doing a better job. It seemed that ever since Mayor Byrd had taken over that the crime rate had steadily gone up. But at the same time he distracted people with all kinds of gimmicks and promises. He had even stirred up public support by making a bid for a distant Summer Olympic Games to be held in the city. Though the attempt had failed it made some of the citizens in the city rethink their opinion of him. It made them believe that he had their best interests at heart.
As she continued watching the news she saw her brothers enter the living room. William and Wesley would not be coming. Even Hego had seen that they were too young for such a thing. Tonight it would just be her, Hego and Mego. A part of her honestly did hope they would run into some kind of trouble. Maybe then they would see how foolish they were being. And if not then she would have the chance to prove her superiority over them. It was a win/win situation.
"We're leaving," Hego said confidently looked towards the door.
She grabbed the remote and turned the television off as she stood up. She still couldn't believe that she was wearing that hideous green and black outfit. She hoped no one would recognize her. A tiny smirk formed on her lips. Of course no one would recognize her. She was going downtown in a huge city. Besides that, none of her former classmates had seen her in over two years. And even if someone did recognize her she wouldn't care. She didn't care about any of those people anymore.
But as if her older brother was reading her mind, he tossed her a small black mask that fit over her eyes.
"Wear this," he said.
"Uh, why?" she asked as she realized that both of her brothers were wearing them as well.
"Because we're superheroes. We can't just run around letting people see our faces."
"I think people will remember the only girl they've ever seen with green skin."
"Yes, but your Team Go uniform covers all of your skin except in your face. The mask will help cover it even more. And plus it's dark out. It will be a lot harder for people to see your and Mego's skin, and my blue hair."
Shego frowned at her brother's logic. She hated when he was right.
"I guess…"
"Great!" he said happily. "Quickly everyone! To the Gomobile!"
"You mean your 1985 Chevy Impala?"
"Shego!"
"Fine, fine," she laughed. "The Gomobile."
The eldest brother gave her a lasting glare before he and Mego turned and made their way to the front door. Shego lagged behind them, and they were already sitting in the car by the time she exited the house. She didn't know why exactly, but she had a bad feeling about this. But someone had to keep an eye on the two idiots and make sure that they didn't get themselves hurt… or worse.
She climbed into the passenger's seat of the car. Hego brought the vehicle to life and revved the engine excitedly.
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She felt like a total idiot.
Shego had just stepped out of the car with her two brothers. They were all clad in their ridiculous tight outfits and tiny black masks. Were these things supposed to inspire fear in the enemies of peace and justice? The only thing she figured they would do would be to make them fall over laughing. Maybe they would fall on something sharp and injure themselves. She hoped that wasn't Hego's strategy.
The night was chilly, and the superhero outfits they wore gave them little comfort in the cold. Shego stood next to the car with her arms wrapped around herself trying to stay warm. She gave her "leader" an annoyed glance as he stood around observing the surrounding area.
"It would appear that this part of the city is pretty calm," Hego said at last.
"Thanks for the update," Mego said sarcastically. "Maybe your superhero name should be Captain Obvious."
If Hego was offended by the barbed remark he didn't show any signs of it.
"We should go look around. Maybe check out some of the alleys and shadier establishments."
Shego let out a cynical laugh.
"Yeah, we should just go looking for ways to be seen by as many people as possible in these humiliating outfits."
"We're not going to be able to fight crime if we're standing by the car all night."
"You know most superheroes have some sort of signal or phone line that the police can reach them on," Mego pointed out. "Or they can fly. But the point is we're not going to find a lot of trouble by going around on foot."
"Excellent point," the eldest sibling said. "But we have to get our names out there first. Team Go has to be recognized as defenders of the city before we can go asking for any of the perks that come with it."
"Oh oh! Do you think we'll get our own high tech headquarters place?"
"Not only that, but I imagine we'll get our own supersonic jet."
"That would be so cool!"
Shego groaned as she shook her head in annoyance.
"Look, if you two are done having your little nerdgasm, can we go out and do something?" she asked. "I'm starting to want to hurt you two just as much as all the criminals out there."
Once more, Hego did not give into the provocative language used against him.
"Our sister has the right idea," he told Mego. "Come on, let's go out and find someone in need of help. The sooner we spread our name, the sooner we can become known as the heroes of Go City."
The three of them got back into The Gomobile and drove further north into the city. It seemed that the further they got the worse everything looked. As Shego looked out the window she couldn't help but notice the poor, rundown condition of the area. An endless supply of potholes seemed to dot the streets, while boarded up windows were commonplace. There seemed to be more area of the sidewalks littered with trash than without it. She wondered if the news reports about the Mayor had any truth to them. There was simply no excuse for any part of Go City to be this bad. Sure, in a city as large as this one there would always be places that were in need of repairs. But this was just beyond the norm. A misuse of public funds would certainly explain the condition of the north side. But she dismissed the thoughts as what they were; mindless political banter. If there was anything she hated more than politics, she couldn't think of it.
She began clenching her fists unconsciously as her nerves were finally beginning to catch up with her. She hadn't known if it was adrenaline or maybe just the stupidity of her brothers infecting her, but she finally realized what she was doing. They were looking for trouble. They were looking for lowlifes and criminals who wouldn't have a problem shooting or stabbing you. This could be the last night of her life. It could be the last night for any of them. Super powers or not, it just wasn't smart to go looking for a fight. One way or another, someone would get hurt. She just hoped it wouldn't be her brothers or herself.
She was jolted from her thoughts when the Gomobile was brought to a screeching halt. But before she could open her mouth to yell at Hego she saw something out the window. Or more accurately, someone.
There were many movies and TV shows that showed a young woman out alone late at night in a bad part of town. Most of the time the audience would question her intelligence and laugh about why anyone would put themselves in such a situation. When she inevitably wound up being attacked by muggers or worse, there would usually be someone there to help her. Shego had always questioned the likelihood of that happening. But tonight all of her doubts were cast from her mind.
The woman in question was a pretty little thing; there was no doubt about that. And the men who were cornering her into an alley were the very stereotypical portrayal of gangbangers and thugs. Apparently they didn't mind the cold as long as they could look cool. They all wore some combination of wife-beaters, bandanas, and blue jeans that looked like they would fall from their waists at any moment. They were the epitome of lowlife culture. And they were about to get their first taste of Team Go.
The trio of superheroes once more came out of the car and moved to the front of it. Shego's hands were still clenched without her knowledge. Next to her she could see that Hego was shivering slightly. She doubted it was from the cold.
One of the young men gave the three heroes a long look before lifting his shirt up a bit to reveal a gun in his pants waistline.
"This ain't none of your business," he told them. "You three better get outta here before you start to piss us off."
The adrenaline was back. Getting a closer look at the woman, Shego was almost certain that the young woman in need of rescuing was a prostitute. But the choices that the woman made didn't mean she was any less human. Her faults and weaknesses only put her humanity on display for the whole world to see. And Shego could clearly see that she was in desperate need of help.
"You guys better leave her alone or you'll be sorry," Hego said as his voice cracked a bit.
Looking at him, Shego could tell how apprehensive he was about the current situation. It was easy to talk a big game when there was no threat to you or anyone else. It was easy to be brave and bold when a group of gangbangers weren't standing a few feet away from you with guns and knives. But there was no backing away from this now. If Shego walked away from this, she would be haunted for the rest of her life knowing that she could have done something to help the woman in her most desperate hour.
By now they had the attention of the entire gang. The thug who had spoken looked the siblings up and down, attempting to assess what he was seeing.
"What's wrong with you? Are you stupid or just crazy? Halloween ain't for a long time. What are you doing dressed up in those stupid-ass outfits?"
"Have you looked in the mirror lately?" Mego said.
She knew that her younger brother was brazen and often said the dumbest things at the worst times, but this one topped them all.
The would-be mugger was shaking his head and mumbling something to himself as he began walking towards the man in purple who had just insulted him. In a flash he swung a fist aimed at the center of Mego's face.
He hit nothing but air.
In a panic Mego had shrunk down to the height of the young man's kneecaps.
The thug looked around in disbelief as he wondered what had happened to the loudmouth freak. His eyes widened when he saw Mego standing directly in front of and below him. He reached down under his shirt to his waistband to retrieve his gun.
He never got a chance to pull it out.
A glowing green fist connected with the criminal's right cheek and sent him flying off onto the sidewalk.
Shego stood there breathing heavily as she looked at the stunned men who only a few seconds ago were confident that they were about to see their leader kill the people who were interfering with their fun. Now they, along with Hego and Mego, were simply standing there in shock.
"Well don't just stand there," she roared to her brothers. "Fight them!"
Filled with a new sense of courage, Hego gritted his teeth as he charged forward at the remaining muggers. With one swing of his superhuman fist he sent another of the thugs flying even further than Shego had sent the one she had made contact with. He handed with a satisfying thud several feet away, and was not about to get up anytime soon.
Panicked young men began to desperately reach for their weapons, but were unable to do so. Mego had shrunk down to the size of a mouse and had been able to get behind them without detection. Another of the men fell forward as Mego's own fists began raining blows down on the back of his head.
Shego's teeth were barred as she swung viciously at another of the criminals who was attempting to flee from the scene. She didn't let him run though. This was cathartic. It felt good to be unleashing years of anger and pain onto this man. She held the front of his shirt firmly in her left hand as she pounded his stomach and face with her right fist. She didn't even need to use her Team Go glow to beat him. Along with their own unique superpower, each of the siblings was enhanced with superior strength, speed and agility. Combined with their other powers they were a formidable force. And it was never any clearer than on this night.
The five men who had thought of themselves as kings of the city were now bloodied and broken, their bodies strewn all over the street and sidewalk. None of them had the strength to pick themselves up off of the ground, much less put up a futile fight.
As Shego watched her oldest brother reach into the pockets of one of the young men and take out his phone, she saw the young woman fearfully walk over to her and Mego.
"T-thank you for helping me," she said timidly. "I… I don't really know how I can ever thank you for what you just did."
She jumped in fright as Hego spoke right behind her. She had been so focused on thanking the other two members of Team Go that she had forgotten about the third.
"There's no need to thank us," he said proudly. "Just remember that Team Go is always on the lookout for evildoers and villains. Spread the word. We're taking this city back from the criminals."
The woman nodded wordlessly. Shego wasn't sure if her speechlessness was because of awe, fear, or maybe even confusion, but it was clear that she couldn't bring herself to verbally respond.
Hego flipped the cell phone open and dialed a number before putting it to his ear. They all knew instantly who he had called.
"I would like to report an attempted mugging on the corner of Belmont and Jefferson," he said to the police dispatcher. "But there's no need to worry, Team Go has thwarted the crime and incapacitated the five criminals. We just need you to send a few cars to pick them up and put them behind bars where they belong."
Normally she was put off by his displays of arrogance. But right now she didn't care. All of her doubts and worries about doing this disappeared when she heard how grateful the woman they had saved was. She had made a difference. She had helped someone. She might have even saved a life on this night. It felt good.
She wondered what the other half of the conversation was as she continued listening to Hego speak.
"No no, it's Team Go. G-O," he said as he was trying to explain that he wasn't crazy. Look, we're superheroes, okay? And we will be watching over the city from now on," he said before pausing. His eyes widened in disbelief. "No this isn't some kind of terrorist threat! We just saved a woman's life!"
She and Mego chuckled a bit at their brother's mounting frustration.
"Just tell everyone that Team Go is a team of superheroes, okay? Like in comic books," he said before another brief pause. "No I'm not crazy! You'll be hearing more about us in the future. And that's not a threat. We're the good guys. You'll see."
Unable to take anymore of the conversation, Hego ended the call and threw the phone back next to its owner. It had probably shattered on impact with the street, but it wasn't as if the man would be needing the phone where he was going.
"Well, I would have to say that this has been a very successful night," he announced to his two siblings. "Quickly, to The Gomobile!" he said before running off toward it.
Shego and Mego stood there dumbfounded by his hurry to get away from the crime scene so quickly.
"Guys, the cops are coming!" he explained. "And they think that I'm some kind of crazy terrorist. I don't want to be here when they arrive. I think it will take a few more heroic exploits before they believe that we're actually superheroes."
There was no arguing with that logic.
The three of them raced back to their car and quickly drove off, leaving the young woman and five incapacitated criminals to explain what had just happened.
A rare smile graced Shego's lips as they began their drive home. Maybe this superhero thing would be fun after all.
XXXXXXXXXX
Bright headlights from several vehicles pierced the blackness of the cold mid-March night. They had finally arrived at their destination. Of course it had to be far outside of Go City, but not too far that it would be inconvenient to visit on a regular basis. A project this secret needed to not only be well-hidden from the general public, but also easily accessible for those who were involved in it.
Several men exited after the doors opened. They looked off toward Go Mountain and saw that there were several small lights visible. Men were no doubt busy at work on the beginnings of this most important project. They were forced to work day and night to get it completed as quickly as possible. That's what the mayor wanted. And that's what the mayor got.
Drew Lipsky stuck his hands in his coat pockets as he glanced at the mayor of Go City. The man's bright red hair was thinning on the edges of his head, and yet remained thick in the center. Drew found humor in how unusual it made him look. But the man's most striking feature had to be his nose. It had more in common with a Toucan bird's beak than a human nose. It was most fitting for a man named Mayor Evan Byrd.
All around him, Drew noticed that there were intimidating men wearing suits. They were no doubt the mayor's security detail, but did one really need so many? Especially here and now it seemed a bit overkill. Then again it wouldn't surprise him if overkill and intimidation were what the mayor was going for. Especially with the project he had in mind.
Another man was approaching their position being accompanied by what looked like two more of the mayor's men. They stopped a few feet away from Drew.
"Mayor Byrd, this is an unexpected visit," the man said a bit worriedly.
"I figured that unexpected visits are the best kind. It gives you no time to make the place look better than it really is. So tell me, how are you progressing?"
Drew couldn't help but think of how shady and untrustworthy the mayor's squeaky voice made him sound. He wondered how the man had ever been elected to office the number of times that he had.
The newcomer swallowed before he began speaking.
"Well, our excavation teams have begun work on penetrating the rock of Go Mountain. Every variable has been accounted for, and I fully expect things to add up to what we're expecting."
"Good, very good," Byrd said before turning to Drew. "Oh where are my manners. Drew Lipsky, this is Matthew Dexter, the chief engineer on this site. And Drew is the chief scientist who will be involved with Project PARROT."
Matthew's eyes narrowed slightly when he shook Drew's hand.
"Lipsky… where have I heard that name before?"
Drew pulled his arm back quickly and attempted to avoid making eye contact.
"Nowhere. I'm nobody particularly important," he said quietly.
Mayor Byrd ignored the tension and resumed his conversation with Matthew.
"So Mr. Dexter, when can I expect The Nest to be fully operational?"
"Well as you can understand this is a massive project. It will take time to carve into and under the mountain and turn it into the high tech facility and laboratory that you've requested. I estimate it will take upwards of three years to complete."
"That's absolutely unacceptable!" Byrd shouted. "My term runs out in two and a half years. I want this thing operational before then. Are we clear?"
"But Mayor Byrd, if you would only give me additional resources I could subtract the amount of time for the final product to be completed."
"I'm having a hard enough time getting you the resources you're receiving now," he grumbled. "The media is starting to suspect something. They're running reports of how I'm not using the taxpayers' dollars to maintain the city and put police officers on the streets. But those idiots don't realize that once Project PARROT is complete that we won't need police anymore."
Drew silently considered Byrd's words. The mayor was nothing but an arrogant fool who was fiddling with knowledge beyond his understanding. But he said nothing.
"I will need more money then. I need more manpower and resources if you want this completed while you're still in office."
Byrd kicked up a cloud of dirt in anger.
"Fine. I'll get you your money. Just try to stay indoors at night from now on. This city is about to get really ugly."
"You do what you have to do. If my calculations are correct and I receive what I ask for, then you will be able to see everything finished and operational in just about two years."
"That's more like it. Continue your work, Mr. Dexter. Don't let us keep you from it."
Mayor Byrd motioned for Drew and the rest of his men to return to their black limousine.
As they drove off Drew couldn't help but think about how he had come to be here. His life up to this point had been filled with disappointment and sorrow. But if everything went well here he would be on top of the world in a little more than two years. He grinned as he imagined the possibilities that his genius would make a reality.