What's In a Name

Drakken had his goggles on and staring at a string of circuits in intense focus. He nearly squealed when Athena's sweetly sick voice made him jump and swat the goggles off his face, "Did you know that your name in Yiddish, Western Frisian, and Luxembourgian means Dragons? Did you pick it because you really liked dragons?"

He looked at his robot daughter with a hurt and confused look, "No dear… I didn't know that nor did I pick it for its meaning. Why are you down here at this hour? Don't you have homework or some other human teenage issue?"

Athena wandered around his lab with her hands behind her back, just observing as she nonchalantly spoke, "I was just finishing up with my genealogy project for class when I realized that you and mom never told me your real names. I just assumed you were Drakken, but mom informed me of your real name."

Drakken hummed a growl at her use of "mom" for Shego and tossed the goggles on the table and turned in his stool, "You wanna know a story about how I got my name? It's really boring, but… it's a story I've never told anyone. Think you're ready? Can you keep a secret?"

Athena's eyes got so excited, the lens revealed themselves mechanical and had to calibrate back to normal as she rushed to his side, "I won't tell a soul. I promise!"

He smiled and patted the edge of his working table and she hopped up as he adjusted to face towards her, "Kim Possible's father was one of my best friends, but… I was a joke to him and his friends. I loved the idea of progressing artificial intelligence to the point of helping humanity in daily routines or dangerous sitches. Unfortunately for me, all my helpers looked feminine so… my so called friends ridiculed me for it. I couldn't do anything without them laughing or talking behind my back… so I dropped out."

Athena's face configured to show sympathy and he looked away as the voice told him it wasn't real… he sighed, "After I dropped out, I took my robotics to someone I thought would understand my love for them… and pay for them… and I was right. Only… it wasn't the price I was willing to pay. The man who took my blue prints and my robots wanted something more from me. He shoved me into a glass tube and filled it with gel that paralyzed me. Before I realized I couldn't breathe, needles were shoved into my arms and legs… then I passed out. When I awoke, everything hurt. They had thrown me in a dumpster thinking I was dead. When I finally got enough strength to get out, I collapsed onto the pavement outside of the garbage and saw that my veins were bleeding blue all over my skin and I wore a dark lab coat with the a Drakken Corp badge stitched into the chest."

He touched the fabric of his coat to show where there were pricks from him removing the patch, "I sought revenge so… I began my 3 year long scheme to bring around the downfall of Drakken Corp. It started with my first invention of evil… the Electromagnetic Pulse ray. I used it to shut down all electronics, including keypads and cameras. I planted hard evidence of theft, human trafficking, and unlawful experimentation before leaving an anonymous tip to both Global Justice and Team Go." Drakken smiled obnoxiously while remembering Donald Drakken's face as he was escorted to a prison only GJ knew about and never saw again, "I took the man's name in honor of him making the monster that I am today."

Athena's face was now flabbergasted as she started in on questions, "What did that experiment do to you besides making you blue? Did… Did you die? Do you have any superpowers? What about the scar under your eye? "

He smiled and stood while guiding her off the table, "Stories for another time."

She frowned and let out a disappointing noise as she let him lead her to the door. She jogged to the unknown and he sighed then turned around. He squealed again, for the second time today, as Shego was perched against the table with her arms crossed, "Telling Athena a bedtime story without me? Ruuude."

He cleared his throat and stood up straight to hide his embarrassment, "Sorry 'mom'… didn't mean to take your precious child moment from you."

She bit her lip and approached him, angrily. He didn't budge, but mostly out of fear. She stopped just inches away and a smile returned to her face… one of a sinister origin, "So… that's why you're blue. You were one of DC's comet test subjects. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

He saw real emotion on her face before she threw it to the back as she flung her deadpan mask back on. Team Go called Drakken's Corp, DC. The man had dedicated his life, money, and means into duplicating the powers that Team Go were given by the rainbow comet that fell upon their tree house. DC used all his resources to locate the remaining comet pieces but had no way of retrieving it… until Drew Lipsky and his wonder robots came into scene. The bots did amazing and DC had his comet and his scientists to formulate a concoction to stimulate a mutation in human DNA… but he had no one to test it on… until he realized that Drew's part in the plan was over.

Dr. Drakken shook his head as the pain and despair of the side effects tortured him to focus on the woman before him. Through all the torment he put himself through, she was an angel sent to relieve him. Then, he remembered to put his wall back up, "Why would I have told you? So you could use it against me in some sort of Shego-insulting-spree. Hmmm… no thanks. Now, if we're quite done… I have an Attitudinator to configure."

"An attituda-what? What… whatever, Doc. Look. I just feel… man, we've been together for like 6 years and… I thought we were… you know… frrr-friennnnds. Uuuggh, that was hard to say. Dude! If anyone understands about the sickness and pain you went through from the side effects of the comet… uh, DUH!" She motioned to herself before he brushed her aside, "You are my side kick… not my mentor or friend. We're just two cursed people who teamed up and happened to make a robotic child together. That's all." He felt so shitty saying that, but he knew the closer he got to the fire the more it hurt. He gave up on that green flame long ago, but when she was this close… he had to remind himself that he wasn't her type.

"You run that mouth so much that I'm beginning to wonder if you even believe the crap that spews out." Before he could sit on his stool, he froze and turned around in confusion, "Excuse me?"

She was back into his personal bubble and he had nowhere to run. He was pinned between her and his workstation. He looked down at her and saw a woman and not the mercenary he'd hired so long ago. Her eyes were stern, but not their usual murdery-looking, "Every time I try to talk to you about something personal on YOUR end… you start blabbing about side kick this and just an employees that… you don't think I can't see through that crap? You believe that if you tell me that I'm just gonna use it to make fun of you… right? And… you're right, but I do it because I'm not comfortable with this crap, either. You know me. I may poke at you, but have I ever not been there to help? And remember… there are no timelines for helping and you are currently not in jail!" She added the last part quickly with a finger pointed at him.

He sighed through his nose, "Fine. I'm sorry I didn't tell you… and thank you for understanding why I didn't."

She added as she got a little closer, "… and?"

He tilted his head… and what? What did he forget? He must have been readable because she groaned and added, "… and sorry for saying we weren't friends! Doc… my man… we've lived together for years now! We made a child from clock parts! We're practically married! As much as that disturbs me to say out loud…"

He didn't stop his tongue in time, "Wish I could get some of the fun perks of being married."

His eyes went wide and they slowly slid back to her where it was now her turn to be caught off guard, "Ex-Excuse me? What kind of perks? Not dying or still being able to breathe without a tube?"

Drakken was not good at playing defense with his thoughts, at all. Yet, in HIS defense… he was pressed against a table by a beautiful woman and the argument blurted out like an overflowing cup of water, "More like hugging or encouraging compliments and even a high five or kiss on the cheek. This is no marriage! Pfft! More like you're stuck in community service with a big blue…"

Her lips was the best attack he'd ever received. It was a silky, salty, warm, and plump punch and it knock out every thought, breath, and movement he had planned right out of his body. When she released him from his velvety shackle, he plopped down on the stool and looked up at the smug grin of a trained warrior as she whispered, "That better?"

He nodded and squeaked out an affirmative noise. She smiled wider seeing how much her reacted and added, "I'm gonna go put our kid to bed… then maybe I'll come back and tuck you in, if you'd like?"

"Why would you…" He blushed furiously and that made her laugh triumphantly, "Night night.. hubby."

She spun and walked out of his work space, laughing the whole way, and he realized she was teasing him again… he roared out her name before angrily returning to his work and whispered to himself, "When my Attitudinator is complete… I will teach you a lesson, you… you… you beautiful woman you!"