Jeffrey had a restless night. This was not a good thing for him. He had to give his company all of the updates in regards to their merging with Gemini Labs. And yet, he couldn't get his mind off the more negative aspects his brother had presented him. But an opportunity that big was too much to pass up, so he caved and invested nearly everything the Tang family was worth into the project. The one they called 'Dark Horse'. Beatrix was still asleep next to him, and since she wasn't going to be disturbed anytime soon, Jeffrey got out of bed, put on his slippers, and walked down the hall to the bathroom. He didn't really think to use the private one in his own bedroom. Between restlessness and Dark Horse, Jeffrey was a nervous wreck.

He passed by Trixie's bedroom, and one of the doors was creaked open. He could see his 10-year-old princess sleeping soundly as if she didn't have a care in the world. Just like her mom. Not that either one of them had a care. At least so long as Jeffrey didn't screw up what he was supposed to do. If he did, he and his family would lose more than just their money.

Please let this all be worth it. Please.

The four popular kids sat across a table in a rather unusually long classroom. They had just enough influence among the teachers to get one reserved. At half past 11, when some of the students went to lunch, the person they had been expecting had walked through the door. A.J. And he had been carrying a file with him.

"So in return for social amnesty, you'll give us dirt on Gabriel Ortiz?" asked Tad.

"Actually, I've made changes to the agreement," replied A.J, "Timmy and Chester have to get social amnesty too."

"Those losers?" asked Chad, "You're pushing your luck!"

"Do you want the dirt or not?" asked A.J., "Because if you have any other choice, why am I here?"

A.J knew he had made the point everyone had known to be true. Tad and Chad reluctantly gave in to the change int he agreement.

"Alright, them too," said Chad, "What do you have?"

A.J pulled out a remote from his back pocket and when he pressed it, a projector came down next to him. On it was a pie chart with various colors.

"The first thing I'm showing you," said A.J, "is a demographic of the sort of people Gabriel Ortiz involves himself with on an average daily basis and how much time for each. This has all been compiled from personal records I managed to swipe from his school transcripts. Only 44% of them consist of those of us here at school. 47% of them are workers involved with his dad's line of work. 2% is just 'VIGILANCE'. I don't know what that is, but it can't be too important if it's only 2%."

"What about the last one?" asked Chad.

What he was referring to was the pie piece shaded red that consisted of the remaining 7% of the chart.

"That's just labeled Dark Horse," replied A.J, "But I don't know what that means."

"So how is this going to help take down Gabriel?" asked Trixie, pretending to be supportive.

"His dad works for Gemini Labs," replied A.J, "And they've gotten some seriously bad rap over the years. The guy who founded the labs, Dr. Kaspar Corr, was plagued by federal investigations for crimes against humanity. And yet he always dodged any form of consequence. At least for a while."

"What does that man?" asked Veronica.

"He was killed last year at a convention in Tremorton," replied A.J, "And VIGILANCE, the guys consisting of this 2%, were the perpetrators."

"So you're saying Gabriel has his hands dirty?" pondered Chad, "That he sides with criminals and therefore can't be trusted..."

"It's the best we've got to go on," said Tad, "Not perfect, but at least it will put Gabriel back where he belongs."

Not a moment sooner, the four popular kids marched into the cafeteria to confront Gabriel, who was surrounded by his adoring voters. Especially Timmy Turner. Gabriel simply turned from the business chair that he had added as a perk for being student body president and looked at the four popular kids.

"Gotten in any trouble lately?" asked Gabriel.

"The only one in any trouble is you, Gabriel," replied Chad, "We think it's time your darling admirers know what kind of crowd you're really from!"

"I hardly think my father being a chief administrator of Gemini Labs is any secret," retorted Gabriel.

Tad and Chad, like they did in the good old days, clapped their hands, and a projector was lowered into the cafeteria. The pie chart A.J had presented to them was now being shown to everyone in the school.

"How about your father being a chief administrator of a facility founded by a man charged with crimes against humanity?" asked Tad, "One Kaspar Corr?"

"Or how about VIGILANCE?" asked Chad, "The guys who bombed a public venue and simultaneously killed Kaspar Corr?"

"Or Dark Horse?" asked Veronica, "Or anything else you've hidden from your supporters?"

Though Gabriel put on a smug appearance and kept his usual demeanor, he had actually been worried about the Dark Horse part. As he stated before, there was no secret he was involved with Gemini Labs. And he had enough charisma to smooth talk his way out of the VIGILANCE bit. But how was he going to explain Dark Horse without ruining it? He was kidding himself, of course. There wasn't a way. That wasn't supposed to be public knowledge. It should have been known only to Gemini Labs personnel and it's investors. What were a bunch of school kids with too much time of their hands doing with a vital piece of knowledge about him? He was working on a way to explain himself, until...

"Looks who's talking!" shouted Timmy Turner.

"You talking back to us, Turner?" growled Tad.

Tad almost lunged at Timmy, were it not for the popular kids' former bouncer jumping in front to bounce him back onto the ground, flat on his back.

"Let the man speak his piece," declared Gabriel, regaining his confidence.

"You really think anybody cares what kind of rough and unpleasant history he may have?" asked Timmy, "At least he can relate to those of us without perfect lives! It's better than having happy-go-lucky rich kids with a perfect home life represent the rest of us who don't have it all!"

As the crowd cheered for Timmy's latest (but brief) speech, Gabriel clapped his hands for the pink-hatted boy. Now he was no longer the only one who would come to the rescue when the popular kids stepped out of line. Timmy Turner had gained a new passionate fire for standing up to his oppressors, and soon enough, everyone else would follow suit.

He could very well be the face of our new society, thought Gabriel, MY society.

"Well, are we just gonna stand here and take this?" asked Trixie.

To her surprise, Tad and Chad did not speak a word. They didn't even try to make orders. They turned in disappointment and left the cafeteria, defeated by the crowd's roaring applause for Timmy. Veronica and Trixie looked at each other, confused, but still followed the two boys out from the cafeteria.

"You didn't even try to fight back?" Veronica asked them, "What were you guys thinking?"

"What's the point?" asked Tad morosely, "We wouldn't have been able to do anything."

The girls stood in silence as the boys reflected.

"That 'happy-go-lucky' quip was a low blow for Turner," said Chad, "Does he really think just because we're rich and popular that we have perfect lives? Not that we made it easy to see, but even so..."

"My dad can be a real dick sometimes, goes around the mansion yelling at my mom for no good reason," said Tad.

"At least your dad has work to blame for his issues," said Chad, "It would be nice to see my dad not come home from the office with empty flasks in his coat...or cheating on my mom behind her back."

Trixie had never seen Tad or Chad this open about their personal lives. And she wasn't too comfortable with this new knowledge, either.

"I guess it would be nice if, once in a while, my parents actually paid attention to me," Veronica said lowering her head.

"So why didn't any of this come out when Timmy was..." Trixie started to say.

"It wouldn't have mattered," said Chad, "They wouldn't have listened. They didn't even care about what we were saying about Gabriel. All it takes is one bad thing to say about him, and the entire school body will be there rushing to his defense."

"Especially Turner," said Tad, "He's been sticking to Gabriel like glue."

"So...that's it, then?" asked Veronica, "We...we lost?"

"Gabriel was right after all," said Chad, "There's no room for us here anymore. It's their world, now."

"It's officially over..." said Tad.

The three of them walked sadly down the hall towards what used to be their private little room, now occupied solely by Gabriel. Trixie followed shortly behind. She too had noticed the change in Timmy Turner. The last time he had successfully run against Tad and Chad, he still had the same passion for sticking up to the system. He still had that going for him, but now without realizing it, he himself had become the system. And it was all through Gabriel Ortiz's handiwork. Timmy Turner wasn't the same person that, deep down, she knew he was. Whatever gave Timmy a real sense of good, Gabriel had chewed it up, spat it out, and replaced it with his own distorted vision.

I regret voting for him now.