CHAPTER NINE: HIS BETRAYAL
Lucy always likes this cupcake shop. It's supposed to be a temporary front for her and Gru for their undercover assignment regarding to the El Macho subject, but since this shop holds wonderful and interesting memories that she and Gru spent, she asked if she can keep this shop running.
The AVL approves but since the investigation is over, they will not supply anymore financial support to keep this shop in the mall. Lucy and Gru agreed to be financially independent since his minions need more jobs aside from their boring jelly-jam business.
Lucy stands on the counter while observing her space. Her shop is completely painted with different shades of pink, yellow and violet; different cupcakes displayed everywhere in the shops, from the shop window to her counter and onto her shelves, she even has a stainless coffee brewery machine and a tea defusing machine on her table behind the counter. Indeed, this shop means a lot to her, not only because of its finest bakery and brewing equipments but also their fond memories together.
Then, Lucy's thoughts stops when he saw Bob came out of kitchen door, carrying a tray of cupcakes with Halloween decorations of white sugar candy skulls, orange-flavored pumpkins as icing and some with dark chocolate spiders on it.
"Awww…." Lucy muttered and stares cutely over Bob. "You made such adorable cupcakes…"
"hehehe, Tank you…" Bob blushes with bashfulness.
"Put it on the table, dear…." She instructed him, "Thanks again for helping me out, Dave used to be here, but I can't him. I wonder where he went…"
Bob placed the tray on a nearby table and thought, Dave is gone missing ever since Gru came out of his hiding of his three-day lockout. The last thing he heard is when he delivers pancakes for their master and didn't show up ever since.
Then, he noticed five familiar people outside their shop window, he runs to the glass door and stares, It's Kevin, Stuart and the girls. "Lucy, Lookatoo…" Bob exclaims excitedly.
Lucy saw them and welcomes them to the shop, they served them some cupcakes, iced coffees for the girls and some hot brewed coffees the minions. The gang sat relaxingly and starts taking down their sweet treats, except for Stuart who just leans over his chair with an ice pack on his head.
Bob just serve them some more cupcakes when he noticed Stuart's Taylor-Swift costume. He turns to Kevin and whispers: "Teepite looka patuta?" (Is she your girlfriend?)
Kevin spits out his coffee in shock and glares at Bob, "Ew, NO!" he answered back, embarrassed and angry.
Seeing Kevin's violent reaction, Bob's emotionally sensitivity triggered. His cute face pout, his eyes watered and started to cry.
As Kevin tries to calm him down, Lucy went to the girls and served them a pitcher of iced-coffee, "Thanks, mom…" Edith said and grabs the pitcher.
Lucy smiles and looks at Margo, who just stares down blankly over her shark-shaped blueberry cupcake.
"Margo…" she said, "is there anything wrong?"
"Yeah, he is wrong…" Margo muttered angrily and stabbed the cupcake in a dessert fork.
"He? He who?" Lucy asked, getting worried of her adopted daughter.
"Oh!" Margo snapped back into reality and stares to her family, "Ummm, it's nothing…"
"Margo…" Lucy's voice went stern, "Is somebody bullying you at school?"
"I…well…" Margo turns away from her mother, finding a way to distract them from the issue.
Noticing how insecure her sister is, Edith finished her ice-coffee and blurted to her mom, "Antonio came in and ask her to be his girlfriend again…"
"Edith!" Margo cries in annoyance.
"What? You can't tell her so I did…" the impatient Edith explains.
"She asked me, so stay out of it…" Margo complains.
"If you can answer out loud in front of Antonio and everybody in the mall, why can't you be that to her?!" Edith shots back.
"You two, Stop!" Lucy exclaims, "No fighting in front of the table…"
As their mother said so, Edith and Margo stopped fighting and leans over their chairs with their mouths shut, their arms crossed and their frowned faces look away to each other.
Lucy sighed to relieve her stress. She sits on her chair next to Agnes and sips some of her coffee. Hearing Antonio's sudden visitation with Margo really surprised her. After arresting El Macho, the AVL puts his son in sort of reform camp where he will be re-educated. That way, he won't be influence by his father's villainous deeds.
She doesn't know how the boy escape from the camp but one thing is for sure: He's determined to get Margo back. And as both a mother and an agent, she will try to protect her daughter from that son of a Mexican villain.
But for now, she'll try not to bring up the whole Antonio issue, especially that Margo isn't comfortable with it yet.
"So, Agnes…" Lucy turns to her little innocent daughter, "Aside from his visit, how's the rest of the mall tour?"
"Oh, it was great!" Agnes exclaims after gulping down her last chunk of chocolate raspberry cupcake, Agnes happily explains their adventure around the mall, from getting costumes for Halloween and going to the bookstore, but she tries to ignore Antonio's visit for she also notices Margo's discomfort.
"And I saw a nice fur scarf on the window but I didn't get it cuz it's expensive…" Agnes went on as Lucy happily listens to her daughter's story. "Then we went to the bookstore and saw Dr. Nefario…"
"Nefario?" Lucy interrupted her, "You saw him?"
"Yeah, he does buy strange stuffs too…" Agnes replied.
Lucy always consider him as the another suspect. After Nefario accidentally expose the pile of cash that was stolen by Felix last night, she couldn't imagine the old man would team up with that Felix. She tried to ask him that forcefully but was interrupted when Gru shouted and went out of the door.
Even though the two are against each other in terms of Felix, they couldn't bear seeing or even hearing Gru in peril. So their confrontation was interrupted and has to see if Gru is okay.
"Oh yeah…" Agnes continues, "We also met someone…"
Lucy raised her brow and gave her slight stern look. "Agnes, what do I told about talking to strangers?"
"Oh he's not a stranger…" Agnes said, "He said he knows you…"
"Yeah, and he even talked to Margo, calling her 'brave, and bold and whatever'…" Edith added and stares at Margo in a sarcastic way.
Margo didn't pay any attention. She grabs her cup of ice-coffee and as she sips her drink, she remembers all of the things Felix told her, and she felt nice how about it. In a strange way, she suddenly felt fond of this British guy; she oddly felt a calm friendship with his person.
"Okay…" Lucy said and turns to Agnes, "Now tell me who this guy is…"
"Well, we don't know his name…" Agnes muttered, her tall dark ponytail droops down.
"Oh…" Lucy replied blankly and took a bit of her Halloween cupcake and eats it.
Agnes thought a little, then she happily said, "But he does know Nefario, they even walked together as friends…"
Hearing that, the shocked Lucy spits the chewed chunk of orange cupcake and lands on Kevin's goggles, "Aaaaaaaaah, Notta see! Notta see! (Aaaaaaaaah, I'm blinded! I'm blinded!)" He exclaims horrifically and drops on the floor.
"Lucy!" Agnes said as she tries to comfort her coughing mother. "Is there something I said?"
"Agnes…" Lucy gave her a very serious look. She places her hands of her daughter's shoulder and asked, "Is this person you met is British, wears a green tux and looks a lot like Gru?"
"Y-yes..." Agnes said, looking a little scared at her mom's serious look.
"So you do know him…" Margo confirms, surprised by her mother's question, "When did you guys met?"
But Lucy didn't answer. She quickly stood out from her seat and grabs her trench coat on her chair.
"You kids stay here and don't let anyone in…" Lucy instructed as she flips the door sign around to SORRY, WE'RE CLOSED and marches out of the shop door.
Everyone went silent. Edith, Margo and Agnes exchange looks while Bob and Stuart does the same as well. Then finally, after scaring himself so much, Kevin struggles on his feet with his goggles all cleaned from Lucy's cupcake spit. He looks around the room and asked: "Eh, Watta kupa? (Eh, what just happened?)"
Lucy pulls up her coat as she marches through the crowd and went to the escalator. She didn't wait until for the escalator to take her to the top, she just simply walks across it, dodging every people on her way.
As she made it to the top, the impatient Lucy marches to Felix's art gallery and was about to enter, when suddenly, a familiar woman burst out of its door.
"Jillian?" Lucy thought, surprised. The last time she saw her is when they both went to the same art gallery and drove away by Felix after causing a scene inside his art gallery. And she bet Jillian is doing the same thing. Despite of her embarrassing moment cause by him, she just can't get enough of her dream crush at all.
Lucy stands on her spot at the side of the art gallery when Felix showed up, holding up a black book of Exorcism and a spray bottle of Holy water.
"Please, Felix…" Jillian begged, her voice sounds like its breaking. "I don't care if you don't love me, but I LOVE YOU so please don't make this hard for me…"
Felix narrows his green eyes in annoyance. "Bloody heck, woman! Why can't you just leave me be?!" he growled.
"Because we are meant for each other!" Jillian shouted, everyone around his art gallery stopped and watches them. Felix frowns and glances around and noticed that she had gained their attention.
Dr. Nefario saw them too and appeared between Felix and Jillian. "Ma'am, please…" the old doctor faces her, "This isn't the good time for a confession…"
"THIS IS the perfect time for confession…" the infuriated Jillian blurted out and shoved the old doctor aside.
Thanks to her reflexes, Lucy catches Nefario before he hits the floor. "Lucy?" the old doctor said, surprised.
"What happened here?" Lucy asked in a blank tone.
"Jillian just stormed in the gallery and tries to confess her love for him…" Nefario explains as he tries to stand on his small weak legs.
Lucy stares back at the scene. This woman will never give up, does she?
"When I first laid my eyes on you back at the Ellis island, I know you will be my one and forever…" Jillian confesses with heart.
"Please, Felix… I barely had love by someone, so please me a chance – HEY!" before Jillian finish her sentence, Felix raise his bottle of Holy water and sprayed some on her face.
"Don't come any closer, you demonic entity!" Felix threatens her and flips open his book of Excorcism.
"Felix, what are you-AH!" Jillian squeals as Felix continues spraying Holy water at her and recites the Anti-demon prayers:
"Fallen angels, who betrayed their Holy Father, Fear the wrath of God!
Be gone, Servant of Satan and his demons, return to the world from which you came!"
Jillian could not believe this, is Felix referring her as the demon?
Even the people around them couldn't believe what they're seeing. Some of them just watch in shock, others pulled out their cell phones and record this strange scene, some began to walk away and try to ignore their attentive over this crazy British guy.
Even Dr. Nefario and Lucy are shocked as well. "Good Lord…" Nefario muttered miserably as he claps his rubber-gloved hand over his forehand and shook his head in dismay.
Lucy just stares blankly over this strange awkward scene, she doesn't know if she's going to laugh or feel pity for Jillian. But one thing is for sure: Felix is dangerous not only as a villain, but even as a mentally-demented person himself.
"Holy demon of Hell, Leave this woman be and return no more to this mortal world…" Felix cries out the prayer as he sprays more Holy water at Jillian, until he noticed that the bottle is now empty.
"Are you done now?" Jillian asked, completely drenching in Holy water.
Felix just stared at her. "Did I vanquished it?" he blankly asked.
"You don't have to vanquish anything, I'm not possessed, okay?" she replied, slightly offended by his question.
Seeing that the 'demon' is still inside her, he quickly throws away his empty bottle and flips more pages on the exorcism book, "I thought this is suppose to work…" Felix muttered, as he scans more Anti-demon prayers.
"Felix, please! Just listen…" Jillian cried out, her wet blond hair sways in annoyance. "Look, there's no joke around here, I'm not a demon, I'm not a servant of Hell or whatever…I'm not an awful person, I just simply love you!"
Felix shuts the book and stares, he begins to blush, not because of love but because of total awkwardness.
"As far as I know, God doesn't create awful people, and now I'm thinking what kind of God who created you…" Felix criticized, trying to look unaffected by the embarrassment.
"I know you're villain and villains don't feel love, but I won't give on you…" Jillian promises, her eyes turn red in tears, "I will let you know that my love is greater than your fear…"
Felix couldn't believe is ears. This irritating girl is not only distracting him but also embarrassing him in front of everyone.
"Yeah, give her a chance, nerd!" a random guy teases him from the crowd.
"Way a go, Romeo…" another random person laughs among the crowd.
"Oooooh, Someone has a girlfriend!" another person sang in a mocking tone.
Felix glances around the crowd as they laugh. Then, he shut his eyes and shook his head, this woman is totally ruining his reputation as a villain!
"Please, Felix…" Jillian muttered as she held his fingerless-gloved hand, "Don't hold it back, I love you and I know you love me too, there's no point hiding it…"
"ENOUGH!" Felix roared at her face. He tosses away the book and pulls out his black cane at the umbrella holder near the door. Nefario and Lucy gasped, knowing how dangerous that cane is.
"Felix, please calm down…" Jillian stammered. Seeing the anger on Felix's face, she slowly walks away but the angry villain follows her, his fiery eyes locks on her. "Okay, maybe you don't love me yet, but I'm pretty sure you'll understand and…"
"No, you will not understand…" Felix growled and pulls out his sword out of its cane-looking scabbard. "You won't understand AND YOU NEVER WILL!"
Jillian gasped, she never thought that simple thing he carries is actually a sword. Completely frightened, she was about to run away but Felix grabs her arm and pulls her to his face.
"How dare you pull a scene like that…" Felix muttered and stares angrily at her eyes. "You made look like a fool… Do you actually think I deserve you?!"
"I…I'm sorry…" Jillian tries to apologies, trying to avoid his furious face. "It's just that I fell in love with you at first sight…"
"Love at first sight doesn't exist!" Felix shouted and pushes her away on the floor. The crowd around them gasped in shock, they never thought Felix would treat a woman like that.
Felix forwards his step at Jillian who is now crawling away from him. "Let me tell me something that I should've told you back at that island," He said, "Just like you, I am in love right now…"
"W-with me?" Jillian muttered, trying not to lose hope for her love of him.
Then, Felix stabbed his sword on the tiled floor and almost hit her leg. "Of course not!" he confirms, angrily, then a strange smile creep across his face. "I'm in love with villainy!"
"Like I said, Love at first sight doesn't exist…" The Happy-looking Felix went on as the crowd and Jillian stares at him in shock. "At first, I don't like villainy, it's awful and dangerous. But when I committed my first crime, I learnt to love villainy...I felt great, I feel pleasure and satisfaction by watching my victims crying, begging and dying before me!"
Then, Felix grabs his sword, pulls it out of the tile and faces Jillian, "And you know what…" Felix's grin disappears and returns in his angry look. "You will be one of them, too!" He snarled and raises his sword, ready to finish her off.
Jillian screams in desperation and shielded herself with her thin arms. But before Felix could strike her, an electrical shock struck him from behind. He drops his sword and beginning to feel the powerful wave of electricity in his veins; he starts to shake, tremble and even dances like an electrified Michael Jackson!
After seconds of electrocution, Felix drops on the floor, smoking and completely unconscious. Then, the crowd glances at the tall carrot-haired woman with a lipstick-looking taser gun on her hand.
"Lucy…" Jillian muttered, surprised by her bold move against Felix.
"Stay away from my kids…" she thought and places back her lipstick taser in her purse. She had enough of seeing him doing such violent actions in public, and zapping him is the best revenge she could do for entertaining her adopted kids.
As the crowd notices that the show is over, they all went away and goes to their shopping activities. Dr. Neferio went to Jillian and help her up, "I'm terribly sorry…" he said to her as sincerely as he can, "Felix didn't mean to…"
"Don't touch me!" the traumatized Jillian cried out, she wraps her arms around her cold wet body and walks away, shivering and scared.
Nefario watches the poor woman goes away when Lucy came beside him, looking stern. He is aware of Lucy's presence since she knows that he works with Felix, and seeing him in that show back there would really count as evidence against him.
"Um, look…" the old doctor tries to explain, but the serious Lucy said nothing. Nefario glances down at Felix, still lying unconscious on the tiled floor. Then, he faces Lucy again and gained confidence to explain some more. "Er, what you saw back there is not what you…"
Before Nefario could talk some more, a pair of handcuffs appeared around his wrist. "Dr. Joseph Albert Nefario…You are arrested for being an alleged accomplice of a dangerous villain, and you have the right to remain silent…" Lucy declared. She grabs the chain between his handcuffs and drags him away from in front of the gallery.
Dr. Nefario couldn't even struggle, his weak old arms can't budge away from her tight grip. Then, he glances behind to see Felix slowly gaining consciousness, "Ow…" he heard him grumble.
"Felix!" the desperate Nefario cried, "I'm being taken, Help!"
Felix heard him and spun around. He saw his old aged assistant being taken away by Lucy, the determined agent pulls out her cell phone from her bag and dialed on its keywords.
"Please, Help!" Nefario yells some more but Felix just frowned and groaned, as if his cries irritate him. Then, he slowly stands on his feet, grabs his sword on the floor and placed it back at its cane-looking scabbard.
"Felix, I'm being arrested! Help me…" Nefario cries some more.
"I said you have the right to remain silent…" Lucy remained him as she places her phone on her ear and waits for the call. She pulls him even harder as they reaches to the escalator and marches down quickly, passing through curious shoppers.
But Felix didn't do anything. He simply watches them as the poor old doctor being dragged away by an AVL agent, Nefario looks at him as he sighed and walks back into his art gallery and shut the doors behind him.
"No…" Nefario thought in shock, "He's letting me being taken off? Just like that?!"
All this time, Nefario felt right about his suspicion. Felix can never be trusted at all! Gru replaced him by a devious villain who doesn't care about his fellow villains at all. Which leads him to another concern, if Felix can betray the old doctor, how much more for his good friend, Gru?
The two had reached the ground floor. Lucy pulls Nefario to the main entrances, "Hello, This is Agent Lucy Gru-Wilde of the Anti-Villain League…" she spoke to her phone. "I have the accomplice of Felix Grudgeman, please send word to Mr. Ramsbottom…"
As she finished her call, the two came out of the mall entrance and went to Lucy's car which parked at the front of the mall. She opens her car door and tries to get the old doctor in.
"Lucy, please, you don't understand…" Nefario began as she pushes him inside her tiny blue car. "Felix is the real enemy here, not me..."
"Sorry, Nefario…" Lucy said to him, her green eyes filled with slight regret as her door hang open "But I have to do this, I'm doing this for Gru…"
"I know, but you don't get it!" Nefario said, "Gru hired Felix and replaced me! If you arrest Felix, Gru will get arrested too…"
Lucy's eyes popped in shock, "Hold on, you know about Gru and Felix working together, all this time?"
"Uh-oh…" Nefario gupled, realizing that he just spoke something out.
"How long have you keeping this?" Lucy demanded for answers, her face glares onto him "Where does Felix come from? Why is he here? Did Gru really hire him?!"
Frightened by her assertive gesture, Nefario grabs the car door and slams it closed.
"HEY!" the angry Lucy cried and starts pounding the car window, "OPEN UP! I'm not done talking to you yet…"
"Sorry, but I have the right to remain silent…" the scared old doctor remained her and locks the door.
All this tension has gone into his head that he accidentally popped some part of the information about Gru and Felix. Nefario felt confuse, he couldn't risk the safety of his good friend by exposing Felix. But at some point, he's tempted to report him too. But if he does, what will happen to Gru?
Then, Nefario spotted a group of black cars driving its way to the Paradise mall, and had Lucy and her car surrounded.
Agents in black coats burst out of the black cars and went to her tiny blue car. Among those cars, Silas Ramsbottom came out from the passenger's seat and approaches to Lucy.
"Well done, agent…" he said to her, "I was hoping you would arrest Gru as an accomplice but I never thought his old friend here is involve too…"
"It's the least I can do, sir…" Lucy replied, "I still need more proof to his involvement…"
Silas stares her for awhile, thinking that she is still holding back. He knows that it won't be easy for her to accept her husband's connection with the new villain, but as an agent, she will soon understand that her duty is more important than everything and everyone around her.
Then, he looked at her car with Dr. Nefario inside. He watches as the other agents tries to take him out of the car without any use of force. We may not have Gru or Felix…but at least we have him as legal source… He thought, thinking that this investigation is about to start as they arresting Nefario and takes him to interrogation.
END OF CHAPTER NINE