Disclaimer: I do not own any intellectual property as of yet.
A/N: I hated this chapter simply because it was mostly informational and didn't have much character development when I wrote the original draft. Finally I decided to flush out more of DeBaucher's personality making this chapter a bit more exciting for me. Don't know if people are going to hate her or love her but I personally love her. Her personality is based on a video game character who, I think, is badass, minus that character's insanity. I doubt anyone will figure out who she is but then again DeBaucher is loosely based on that personality.
Anyways please read, enjoy and review. See you next weekend.
Chapter 4: The Vaults of Evil
The Vaults of Evil was a secret and private museum, owned by the richest criminal family in the world, the Ironsmith family. This family is a legend among the criminal underworld; no one has ever claimed to have met them. Even their henchmen have yet to see the people they work for. But even though they have not been seen, their presence could be felt all over the underworld. They owned the Bank of Evil and have a monopoly on the weapons and their parts through their distribution company, ACME. No criminal would ever dare to go against them; anyone willing would find themselves weaponless and broke.
The Vaults of Evil is like a trophy room to the many evil exploits and villains the family had supported throughout the years. The most notable criminals throughout history have their own display case, showcasing who they were, what they had done and the trademark weapons that they have used. There was also a display case for Gru and his feats. Replicas of his Freeze Ray and Nova Blaster were there, along with the articles on his past accomplishments. But no villain ever had set foot in the Vaults besides the Ironsmiths. No one was allowed in there and no one knows where it is. All the information Gru had about this elusive establishment was his Blu-Ray virtual tour collection that he paid for in three installments of $99.99.
"I know where it is," DeBaucher casually remarked.
"How? Do you how many villains have tried to search out the Vaults? It houses the greatest weapon collection the world would have the pleasure of seeing," Gru stared at her in disbelief.
"I just happen to know the right people. How else do you think I got the original plans for the FOGIE device?" She sneered.
"It's true, Gru. Although she didn't show me the whole blueprint, she did convince me the she had the weapon plans from the Vaults."
"How did you find out about her?" Gru eyed Dr Nefario suspiciously. He knew that the older man rarely left the lab and he would never do it to go out and socialize with young people.
"I…uh…knew about her for a while now," the doctor flushed. He didn't want Gru to know that he met her online in a Star Wars fan forum. "Said that she had these blueprints and would make the weapons if I could get her a job."
"Wait, she has more?" Gru whispered to the shorter man.
"Yes, she does. But she won't give them all up. She wants to make sure she has a career in the criminal world."
The boy's blue eyes narrowed. He knew he needed to watch out for her. If she was able to do that then logically she could start her own career as a villain with a lot of hard work, gathering her own lackeys and sidekicks. Only those forcing their way into another villain's company do it to take everything from that villain. "I seriously don't trust her and I won't allow her to work for me any longer."
"And why not, Fatso?" She was up and ready for a fight.
Gru, too, had his freeze ray ready by his side. Minions stopped to see what was happening. Others alerted more minions to the scene. This was an event of a lifetime! Soon more of the walking twinkies surrounded the woman and the boy, chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"
"Wait! Stop!" Dr Nefario yelled as he intervened.
"Aww…"
The enraged child faced the minions encouraging them to return to work. DeBaucher huffed and crossed her arms, annoyed that the fun had ended before it begun.
"Gru, I meant what I said before. I am getting older. With you not here to help me I fear that I cannot work to your standards like I used to. I had a sneaky suspicion that you would want to continue your career so I searched for a lab assistant to help me here. That is how I found Delilah DeBaucher. Sure she's rough around the edges and her motives are unclear but she is the best candidate for this position and quite frankly I enjoy working with her. She reminds me of you at her age."
"What? I'm nothing like that fat-ass, rude brat!"
"There's nothing that that hussy has in common with me!"
The two glared at each other. This was definitely not the way to start off a professional relationship in the work place.
Dr Nefario sighed. "All three of us have to prepare for this heist in a matter of hours. So until Gru becomes an adult again I suggest that the two of you learn to work together. DeBaucher, come, we need to get the airship ready." With that the doctor left the room leaving the woman and boy alone.
DeBaucher had to walk past Gru to follow the doctor but Gru's words stopped her before she left the room. "So how many men did you have to seduce to get to this point?"
She turned back to face him. "Why do you ask? Jealous?"
"You know I will not make your employment here pleasant so why don't you quit now before things get real nasty."
"And you think I won't do the same? If you have me all figured out then why don't you retire, you old geezer, and live peacefully with your daughters?
"I won't retire and allow you to take everything that I worked all my life for. So that still leaves me as your boss."
"Hopefully not for long," DeBaucher said under her breath as she went to join the scientist in the hanger.
A few hours later in the early day, Gru and his girls were packed and ready for the days to come, saying their goodbyes in the foyer. "Don't worry too much girls, I'll come back. It's just going be for a few days," he reasoned with the three, obviously upset, little children.
"Why can't we just go with you?" Agnes asked.
"It's too dangerous and I won't be able to spend any time with you anyways. That's the life of a spy," Gru lied. He couldn't bring himself to tell them that he was a villain. One reason for this was for their safety, he didn't want them going around telling people he was a dangerous criminal, if that happened they would be taken away. Another reason he hasn't told them was he feared their reaction. Margo had tried to bring the three of them up on good morals, learning from the injustice done to her and her adopted sisters at the orphanage. He didn't want to undermine her sense of right and wrong by announcing who he was, what he had done and what he was still doing. The last big reason was him having to explain to them that he only adopted them so that he could use them to break into Vector's stronghold and he had planned on abandoning them when the first opportunity arose.
"Just quit then!" Edith yelled. She pulled her beanie over her eyes in frustration. They had only been together for a month and now he was going to leave them again.
"You could find other employment. We could help you by working ourselves. We did before," Margo argued.
"Please don't go, Mr Gru."
He understood their frustration. He, too, was frustrated but there really was no other way. He tried to embrace all of them at once but he did not have the reach. "Girls, I need to do this for myself and for you. I cannot be a father when I, myself, am a child. I miss being able to pick you up and placing you on my shoulders. I won't be able to drive you to Super Silly Fun Land again and I won't be able to get good footage of you at your next ballet recital if I remain like this."
The girls pondered the thought of them having a boy as their father. Although they were not pleased by the idea, they did not want to be apart from Gru again.
"I will be back for you in a couple of days. For now enjoy, yourselves at the MacDade's."
"Will you walk us over there?" Agnes asked. Her large brown eyes were wet with unshed tears. In her arms she clutched the fluffy unicorn Gru had won for her at Super Silly Fun Land. She had named it, "Fluffy."
Looking at his youngest child, Gru was very tempted to do so but he didn't want Fred to question him too much. He spent hours giving the man a fake explanation about the rocket that launched from his house, stating that it was only a weather balloon. But before he could give his reasons, Margo interrupted him. "No, Agnes. Mr Gru would have to explain to Mr MacDade why he's a boy again and it might get Mr Gru in trouble. Come on, it's not too far, guys." Margo took Agnes' hand and started to leave.
"Wait! You have to pinkie pro…," tears began to fall from Agnes' eyes as she remembered her last pinkie promise with her adopted father.
Gru's blue eyes widen in realization as he took hold of the little girl's hand. He placed a finger over his heart and traced a cross, "I cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye. I will be back for you, Agnes. For all of you." A small smile formed on her innocent features, pleased by the small pledge.
"Bye, Mr Gru," they all said in a dishearten tone before they left.
Margo led the five-year-old ago away and glanced back to her adopted father who watched them from the door. They didn't dare say 'Bye, Dad,' it felt too risky. For weeks they had struggled with saying the title. Saying 'I love you' to Gru came easily but calling the man (now boy) 'Dad,' even though they had written 'To Dad' on many hand drawn pictures, was extremely difficult. Maybe it was the fact that he had let them down before; they couldn't shake off the doubt that he would want to remain as their father.
Behind Margo and Agnes, Edith was pulling the rear as she dragged her bag and feet behind her in silent protest. Occasionally the young blonde would kick a rock around trying to alleviate the aggravation she had. "It's not fair. If he's going to leave us for his job, then why did he come back to rescue us?"
"He crossed his heart when he said he would come back," Agnes cheerfully replied. "So, he has to come back."
Margo didn't say anything. She had tried her best to keep them together. Although it made sense for Gru to try to become an adult she felt it was more important for them to stick together as a family. Wasn't that what families did?
The, now, boy stormed his way through the secret lair the way any child his age does: with a lot of angst. With him were two minions, Bob and Larry, flanking him. He was ready to get this mission underway so that he could be reunited with his kids.
Many of the minions were finishing off the supplies on the airship for the flight to London. As he got on the ship Dr Nefario was sitting in the pilot's chair with DeBaucher in the co-pilot's seat.
The older man turned to DeBaucher and asked, "So you really think that it's possible?"
"Well, why not? We already have laser guns now and technology is always evolving. I'm sure that one day we'll have light sabers," The woman replied back.
"Hey! Let's get this show on the road, NOW!"
"Whoa, chill fat boy," DeBaucher said as she helped the old doctor start the engines.
Not wanting to socialize with the man who wanted to steal his children's childhood or the woman who gave him a second coming of puberty, Gru went to the back of the ship to do what any other child his age would do: mope.
"Looks like someone didn't get his coffee this morning," DeBaucher said as she turned to the pilot.
"Let me tell you all about that," Dr Nefario said as he turned to her with a tired expression on his face.