The day was long, hard, and took a lot out of him. Everytime he could turn his thoughts to Steven and his little nightly activities, it didn't take a minute before his head was craned another way, forced to focus on something else. Some simple word that needed defining, some part of his plan that needed to be double-checked. Some idle conversation that Charlie INSISTED on starting up with him. He had to make the mental note to define "introvert" to his henchmen at some point...
By any circumstances, when Two-Brains and the henchmen returned home, the doctor fell back onto the couch. It was so old. He could practically feel how old it was. He made a mental note to put it back in the dump he found it in and reupholster a different, better, couch that he'd steal. The springs creaked under his weight, or what was left of them. Funny, without the springs, he sunk deep into it. The plushy exterior surrounded him on his right. His head sunk back into the throw pillows he had on it, also worn out but somehow...soft.
Suddenly everything in him wanted to collapse from the weight of the day and it ached to relax, but it felt good. His eyes were heavy and a yawn escaped him as he mumbled to the henchmen.
"Alright boys... That.. That was a good day.", he said with a stretch.
He sighed deeply, his eyes finally closing. He could feel his brains untangle and loosen up as meaningless thoughts fluttered by. He almost didn't hear his henchmen.
"You know, Boss, if you're tired, we could clock out early for ya to get some sleep.", one offered.
"Mm... Hm? What?", he forced his eyes open and looked back at them.
He groaned, realizing what trap he was falling prey to, and rubbed his eyes, trying to agitate them enough to water and keep open. He blinked back, tiredly at the henchmen as his brains grasped to remember what they said.
"Hm? Oh. Oh, clock out? Oh yeah sure...", another yawn escaped him and he shook his head. "Uh b-but first, we need to get rid of the scrap metal and then you're off the clock."
"Alright. We've got it, Boss.", the henchman said and began to work on it.
"Here, I'll help you.", Two-Brains said, starting to lift himself off the couch.
"No. We've got it. You seem pretty bushed.", they offered. "If you wanna sleep, that's okay."
"No no. Please..", he growled a bit as he stood up and stretched. "Seriously, the last thing I wanna do right now is sleep."
His legs felt like pieces of iron, his shoulders looked like he was carrying a large load. He could barely see past the tears and lids of his eyes and he stumbled about, trying to help them. Already he could practically hear what Steven would say if he could say.
'Go ahead and sleep... You know you need to sleep..'
Unfortunately, sometime while they were working, it was just a little rest, he told himself. He had sat back down on the too-comfy-for-comfort couch and was out like a light. Deep, deep down, slumber over took him and he thought he was happy with what dreams gave him.
"Wordgirl! Wordgirl, where are you?", a voice called out, through the middle of the night, over across the city and straight into Becky's ear.
She jolted awake in bed from the sudden shout and shook her head.
"Wh-what? What hap..?"
"Wordgirl, where are you? Dr. Two-Brains is here!", the voice called again
"Oh.. But..", she sighed and and put her hand to her chest. "Word up.."
She quietly left her room in a burst of speed and flew out over the night.
"He better have a good explanation for this.. I've got a test tomorrow!", she complained to herself as she flew.
She arrived just in time and did her best to sound commanding.
"HOLD IT RIGHT-"
"SHHH! Sh sh sh sh! Please..!", the doctor whispered, turning around.
"Oh. Sorry..", she said more quietly. "Hold- Wait.. Dr. Two-Brains?"
She floated a bit closer as the man stood there. Eyes closed, bow tie loosened, slumped over a bit, and breathing slowly. Almost as if he was...
"Is he asleep?", she asked the store clerk who only shrugged.
"Mm..", the man mumbled, turning his head only slightly. "Mm... Wordgirl..?"
"Yes?", she asked, trying to hover closer.
"Please.. Please..don't..", he said, waving his hands in front of him, as if trying to defend himself. "Don't get..."
He sighed again and snored softly. His head drooped over and she and the store clerk only stared at each other curiously. Finally Wordgirl decided to gently shake him.
"Dr. Two-Brains?", she asked.
He mumbled a bit, furrowed his eyebrows together, and tried to wave her off.
"Stop..", he pleaded.
"Two-Brains? Two-Brains, wake up.", she said, shaking him a bit harder.
"No, no.. Stop..", the man said before falling into a complete state of sleep.
One more shake, and suddenly Two-Brains' eyes flew open and Wordgirl backed up a foot as he jerked, suddenly awoken.
"Huh? What? Oh..", he yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Where..?"
He looked around, saw the hardware store. Saw the supplies he was buying. Saw the clerk, alarmed. Saw Wordgirl..Wordgirl? Fear gripped him for a moment, though he presented it in frustration.
"Wordgirl? What are you doing here?", he growled.
"What am I..? What are you doing here, sleepwalking?", she asked, equally upset. "I've got a test tomorrow and you just decide to steal from the hardware store in the middle of the night?"
"I don't steal hardware, I pay for it!", he griped. "I steal cheese. I um..", he looked back sternly at the supplies on the counter. How hard had he been sleeping? "..I don't know what I was planning to do with this.."
His eyes seemed to narrow some, but he quickly huffed off before further questions were asked. The LAST thing he wanted was Wordgirl tailing him.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed."
"...Well SOR-REE.", she huffed, tired and upset that this was a bust.
She flew back home, but for another couple of hours, she couldn't really determine what sort of interaction that was. Was he actually asleep, or was he acting it all out? That glare he had on the supplies... What was that all about? Should she even bother in asking? She couldn't help but feel curious. The next day she asked Bob in private. He agreed with her, it was unusual behavior for him.
"...Actually..", she mused to herself as she churned her mind over and over again in the scene. "He didn't...seem quite like himself."
Bob gave a curious chirp.
"Well I mean he seemed..I dunno. I think he actually seemed kinda desperate. Like he really wanted to be left alone.", she continued to say. "And his voice.. He sounded...different..."
She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Bob noticed and looked back curiously. The look on her face, so stunned as the possibility that's constantly nagged her seemed to be proven true, it said enough for the monkey. He grew suspicious and chattered warningly.
"...Bob. No. Seriously. This isn't me just missing him.", she said. "What if-"
Bob chattered louder, obviously upset that she's once again, getting her hopes up.
"Bob, you weren't there! I know I've wondered a hundred times and you've proven me wrong but.. But you weren't there! You didn't hear him!", Bob grabbed her shoulders and screeched angrily at her, telling her to just let go already and that what she was thinking wouldn't ever happen. Her brows came together, in anger and despair as tears dared to spill. "...Bob... He was my best friend.. What if..What if, under some miraculous possibility...Prof. Boxleinter was actually trying...to come back?"
Bob sighed. It hurt him too. It honestly did. Ever since that incident, so long ago, both had been tormented and worried about Boxleitner and if they would ever see him again. However, it would be very easy for Two-Brains to wanna take advantage of their hurt like that. So every time Becky ever wanted to worry and think about if he came back, Bob would have to put down the thoughts and tell her again and again that Steven wouldn't come back.
This time, though, she wasn't just hurting and missing an old friend. She actually believed it. But logically thinking it over, they didn't have a lot of proof of what she assumed could be true, somehow. So it was settled that they would go on a stake-out. That night, they waited in their bedroom. After hearing everyone else go to sleep, they flew out and over to the lab. There they waited by the window on the ceiling and watched. Two-Brains wasn't asleep yet. It was only 10:30. He sat at the table in his empty warehouse. A mouse scurried by and he gave an absent minded wave.
"Hey, George.", he said, uncaring. "How's the wife and- Hey hey hey!"
He stood up and pointed down at the mouse as it neared his fridge.
"That's MY cheese! Go on, I'm not loaning you any!"
The mouse squeaked indignantly and he shook his head.
"No no, I don't care if you're scraping by and have 17 kids and 7 on the way! Life's tough! If you really wanted something to eat, for Pete's sake, get out there and be the man of the house! Geez!", he rolled his eyes and the mouse huffed off, squeaking just the same. "Yeah yeah.. And Sofia's been cheating on you! Might wanna talk to her about it!"
The mouse was gone. After a few kiddie mazes, Two-Brains sighed. It would be a long night, he knew it. But he couldn't let himself sleep. After thinking a bit, he walked off and over to the blackboard. The mouse-brain began to talk to him and he played Devil's Advocate with it, the best way he knew of how to scheme, even before he had a literal other voice to talk to.
"Alright, Squeaky, here's the thing..", he began, causing Wordgirl to lean in a bit more, readily waiting to hear more. "I know tomorrow we've got that big heist we were wanting to do. But in order to pull it off, we've gotta be in top condition to do so. I'm talking about a full night's sleep so both of our brains are well rested."
A pause as the brain answered him. He nodded listening to it.
"I know... But it can't be just one of us, staying awake to keep an eye out..."
"An eye out for what?", Wordgirl whispered.
"We both need the sleep or we'll be worse off tomorrow.", he argued. "...Well if we did stay up all night, the coffee supply will diminish, for sure. I'd have to take a cup every couple of hours and watch mind-numbing TV to keep my eyes peeled and you can kiss the supply stored in the fridge good-bye, I know you'll want it."
He continued to talk to himself, explaining that going for the whole night without sleep doesn't even then do away with the real trouble. That it would mean repeating this constantly and sooner or later sleep will catch up.
"I can try out the straps...", he offered, but it made him shudder and groan, holding his head in pain. "Alright, alright! I know, I know! Straps make you uneasy... Me too.. But what choice do we have? If we stay up late, we'll sleep in late. Imagine running through broad daylight with him in control..."
Wordgirl gestured to him, looking back at Huggy, clearly excited and really stressing what she meant. Now Huggy was surprised and leaning closer to listen more.
"...We can't lock the door. We knew what happened last time..", he couldn't help but feel his sharp teeth, knowing how he used them to betray himself and the awful morning taste he was left with for it.
"...I just don't really see a choice in the matter..", he sighed. "...I know. You're mad.. I am too. I'd hate to give it up but even you have to hand it to him. He certainly knew how to corner us.."
Wordgirl could barely believe her ears. Was it true that they were actually hearing Two-Brains, FEARING Boxleitner's return?
Two-Brains stopped for a moment, considering the position he's been put in. As an individual, he was nothing more than a persona created by another's mentality so he could embody the will of that other. He didn't go to school, he didn't learn to be a scientist like Boxleitner did. He STOLE Steven's knowledge and wits for his own purpose, just as Squeaky had stolen his body and will.
He didn't say it, he didn't show it, but he felt it, deep down, tearing at him, an undeniable fear that this machine that Boxleitner has created...could very well be the undoing...of his entire existence.
Fearfully, he got ready for bed, and crawled away to the bedroom. It couldn't be helped. He's looked at it from every angle and it was already late now. With nothing more to do, he turned out the light and soon fell asleep, victim to a sharper mind than his own.
Laura: Please review. I don't mean to sound desperate or anything, but it helps me know if I'm wasting my time or not.