Chapter 11

Beginning of the End Part 2

The man nonchalantly making his way inside the office of Jerry Lewis was none other than Scar. The head of Spies Organized Against Peace smiled a devilish smile as he stopped beside Chris. She wasn't exactly sure how to react to his sudden appearance.

"You've done a fantastic job, Christine. Of course, I expected these results from an operative of your caliber. You always were my best agent," he told her. She remained quiet, not even chastising him about using her real name. "Now then, stand aside. I have some unfinished business with my former employer here."

"Scar. I honestly hoped to never see your face again," said a scowling Jerry. "It appears you've been keeping yourself busy all these years. Have you had fun brainwashing Christine?"

Scar let out a hearty series of chuckles. "'Brainwashing?' What a colorful word! I've done nothing to my wonderful agent here other than tell her the truth about you. You think me malicious for that? If so, I must've learned it from you."

In the same cool manner as his speech, Scar made his way over to the couch in the center of the room, took the middle-most seat, and crossed his legs before fixing his sights on Jerry once more.

"Of course, I'm not here to reminisce on the past," he went on. "I'm quite certain, Jerry, you are well aware of why Iam here."

"I would presume revenge, though I'm lost as to how I've ever wronged you."

"...Come again?" The look on Scar's face transformed to one of wholesome ire. "Tsk! Even now, you dare to overlook my genius?! Play the part of a fool for as long as you wish, old man! It won't save you or your wretched organization in the end! My army of androids will have this building under my control in a mere matter of minutes! As such, there's nowhere left for you to run, Jerry! We'll finish thistoday."

"So that's it then." Chris spoke under her breath, adding in a much louder voice, "WOOHP isfinished!"

"I-Is that what youreally want, Chris?!" asked Sam. "You can't be serious!"

Chris faced away from her friend in defiance. She wasn't in the mood to answer anymore questions, fearing doing so might actually make her regret what she had done up to this point.

"...I thought you might've been a good person, Chris, but it's obvious I was wrong," said Sam bitterly. "I guess there's nothing left to do but stop you!"

"Are all your operatives this foolish, Jerry?" asked Scar. "Anyway, all good things must come to an end, young woman. Just like your friendship with Christine here, the same goes for WOOHP, Jerry Lewis' WOOHP anyway."

"Sorry, Scar. Though you seem quite confident you've won, neither me, my operatives, or this organization are going anywhere anytime soon!" declared Jerry.

Scar raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? Enlighten me."

"You don't get it, do you? WOOHP was created to assist those in need. So long as people are willing to help others, WOOHP will live on. Even if you destroy this building and everyone inside of it, you'll never get your way! Your ambitions are nothing in the face of human compassion!"

For a moment, Scar was left speechless. Then, everyone observed him erupt into an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Jerry in particular found the whole display quite sad.

"You had me going there for a bit there." Scar held his aching sides and wiped his tear-stained eyes clean. "'Human compassion?' That tirade you were going on about there sounds like something out of a fortune cookie! Or maybe you really are beginning to lose your mind. Youare getting up there in age. Whatever you believe, your time on top of the spy world has come to an end."

"Not if I can help it!" said Sam, slipping into a fighting stance. "You two are going to have to go through me if you want to lay a finger on Jerry!"

"Sorry, Samantha. As much as I appreciate the kind gesture, I can't allow you to throw away your life here!"

Jerry pressed a switch on his desk, and a trap door opened up beneath Sam. Though she attempted to stop herself from falling into the abyss by hanging onto the edges, her fingers slipped, and she disappeared screaming Jerry's name. Being outnumbered would be a problem now, but Jerry figured as long as Sam, Clover, and Alex escaped the building safely, he and WOOHP had a fighting chance.

"Sam..." muttered Chris somberly.

"Hmm? Well now, that wasn't very smart," Scar said to Jerry. "You certainly could have used the help. Then again, I suppose you do have a tendency to cast aside people on or surpassing your level out of fear."

"Save your breath, Scar. This matter is between you and me!" barked Jerry.

"Fair enough."

"Tsk! This has much to do with me as it does you guys!" stated Chris.

"Heh. Of course, Christine. I'll let you get your fill in as well. We promised to destroy WOOHP together after all."

"I believe it's about time you've told that girl the truth, Scar. You've pulled her along on a string long enough!" said Jerry.

"You're still going on about that, old man?" asked Chris. "I'm not listening to your lies anymore! Scar wouldn't…!"

"...Don't be so hasty, Christine. After all, his story isn't as farfetched as you believe," Scar said without warning.

Hearing this made Chris' whole body freeze on the spot. Surely, she must have simply misheard her boss, she thought. Though assured of this, she still decided to turn to him, asking, "...And just what the hell is that supposed to mean? Is that another one of your corny jokes?"

"Regrettably, that isn't the case, Christine. Everything Scar has told you about your parent's death has been nothing more than a fabrication. While I did send them, and Scar, out on that mission, I didn't end their lives. The true culprit is standing right beside you," explained Jerry. "He's the man you've been serving faithfully under all the years, a man that has used your confusion and anger to his advantage."

"N-No..." Chris repeated this a few times under her breath and inside of her head. Why should she believe anything Jerry Lewis had to say? This had to be another of his numerous lies. It had to be. Scar would deny his claims, she thought, and she leered his way again to hear just that. However, when her boss remained tight-lipped on the matter, fear sprang up in her heart. "W-Well?! Say something, Scar! What's the problem?! Tell him he's wrong! Answer him! Answer me, god dammit!"

It took some time, but Scar finally gave her the response she desired, although he doubted it was the one she anticipated.

"...I've grown tired of keeping up this facade. You've no idea how irritating it is to take care of a helpless, little girl, Christine. Fortunately, you were useful to me as a spy, but now that you've served your purpose, I no longer have any need of you."

This coming out of Scar's mouth was too much for Chris. She backed away from him apprehensively, leering with eyes as wide as the sky. She again tried to convince herself that what she was hearing and what was actually being said were two wholly, different things.

"Y-You can't be serious! T-This really is just another one of your stupid jokes, right, Scar?! Come on, tell me you're just kidding around again, Scar!"

"I'm afraid not, Christine" retorted Scar. There wasn't a shred of compassion in his tone. He then sighed. "I really didn't want to kill Nathaniel and Diane. Then again, my plans had come so far, I really had no choice but to dispose of them. Your parents were fools, Christine. If they'd simply gone along with my ideals like you did, they might be here today. Of course, something good did come of their demise:you. Yes, they left me quite the tool to mold and shape as I saw fit. If you'd like, I can tell you about what actually happened to your dear parents in their final moments."

Chris, shaking in anger and confusion, eagerly shot her head up at this claim.

#

"What in the world is your problem, Scar?" asked Diane from inside the pink WOOHP jet she, Nathaniel, Christine, and of course Scar, were traveling in. His crazed laughter pierced throughout the vessel, unsettling Diane more and more with each passing second.

Finally, he and the interior of the plane became quiet again but unsettlingly so. Meanwhile, Nathaniel and Diane waited for Scar to say or do anything to explain his bizarre actions. He chose to adjust his focus to the front of the plane instead as he listlessly stared at the darkened skyline outside from the large window.

"...I'm going to ask you again, Scar. What is your problem?" said Diane slowly and carefully. The last thing she wanted to do was set her friend off again.

"...I suppose I just had an epiphany is all, Diane." Scar, swiveling his head over to her, added, "...WOOHP has no future with Jerry Lewis at its helm. I'm certain you and your husband here are smart enough to realize that. I'll dispose of that man and claim the organization for myself. Indeed, that's the only future WOOHP could hope to have if it wants to thrive and prosper."

"Y-You can't be serious!"

"I amvery serious, Nathaniel. In fact, I want you both to join me in my plans. The three of us have always functioned well as a team. Something like this would be a cakewalk if we combined our efforts. Jerry would never see it coming either."

"I-I can't believe this! You're insane, Scar! Do you really think you could get away with something like this?!" asked Diane. "It's...too horrible to even think about!"

"Of course I could. You severely underestimate my abilities if you truly believe I couldn't. Covering up Jerry's demise wouldn't be too hard. We could stage some sort of accident. I don't care what so long as that man is out of my hair once and for all. Besides, the three of us are well-respected enough within WOOHP that I doubt many will question our sudden rise to the top. What do you say?"

"As tempting an offer as that is, I think we're going to have to decline!" bellowed Nathaniel. "I don't know what's gotten into you, Scar, but if you're serious about this whole twisted scheme of yours, we're going to have to stop you here and now!"

"That's right! You won't lay a finger on Jerry!" said Diane. "Now while we're around!"

"Hmph. How noble of you both." Scar shook his head. "I had my suspicions you two would respond in this manner, though I suppose it didn't hurt to try. I presumed maybe you two at least could see the truth, but perhaps Jerry's foolishness has rubbed off on you both. Maintaining peace in a world such as ours is a complete and utter waste of time. Despite all our hard work over the years, things always descend into chaos after a short period of peace. It's simple human nature for our species to behave in such a way, so when you really think about it, groups such as WOOHP are truly pitiful. They futility fight the inevitable. I no longer wish to be apart of such a cycle. My talents are wasted on such a thing. Rather than try to combat tyranny and strife, we should accept it and learn how to use those aspects to our advantage."

Everything became hushed once more. Scar perceived this as a moral victory.

"...Some of things you said are true," began Diane. "Even so, that doesn't mean we should let criminals and other bad guys do as they please! There are plenty of decent people on this crazy planet of ours! Don't you think they're worth protecting from the tyranny and strife you mentioned?! You want use to just go along with it?! Get real! The same people you're celebrating are the same people that could hurt my daughter!"

Diane, losing her temper, calmed when her eyes wandered to the still sleeping Chris. She questioned how the girl could be resting even though things inside the jet had descended into madness.

"...That's right! We have to protect the ones we love!That's what WOOHP is all about! That's the reason we put our lives on the line everyday taking down all the wackos in the world! If you don't even get that much, Scar, you're a lost cause!" she added.

Scar paused at this, perhaps taking the time to chew her words over. "...'Love?' You're saying that's what this is about, what WOOHP is about? Then things are even worse off than I imagined. Love is simply a word humans came up with to cope with their loneliness. In the end, all of us merely care for our own goals and ambitions, yet we prance around and pretend to care for one another. That sort of dishonesty makes me sick to my stomach. Don't you believe it's time we dropped that facade?"

"Is this a philosophy lesson now?" asked Nathaniel sarcastically.

Paying the question no mind, Scar directed his attention to Chris. "...I suppose you two must really love your daughter."

"...What's that supposed to mean?" Nathaniel already had an idea what Scar was getting at, although he felt it didn't hurt to be certain by asking.

Scar abruptly got to his feet, causing Nathaniel and Diane to tense up. "Right now, this plane is carrying a highly explosive missile capable of wiping out a city or two if it were to be used. It was created by a very dangerous individual, one who is now locked up in the containment facility at WOOHP. The reason we are transporting it to another WOOHP location is so that it can be dismantled safely. Jerry lacked the resources to do so at our headquarters."

"W-What?! H-How could you know all this?! Jerry didn't tell us a thing!" cried Diane.

"Hacking into WOOHP's mainframe and stumbling upon the information was a simple matter for me. Of course, I wouldn't have had to resort to such uncivilized measures if Jerry weren't being so tight-lipped about everything we do. Obedient, little sheep such as you two likely wouldn't question this however. The reason I asked to join this mission was so I could commandeer the weapon we have on board for my own purposes. It doesn't make sense to let something like it go to waste just because an imbecile like Jerry Lewis wants to preserve 'peace' or whatever nonsense he tends to prattle on about."

"Bastard! Like hell we're letting you pull off whatever it is you're planning!" Nathaniel stood this time around. His massive frame towered over Scar as he glared down at his now former comrade.

"Hahaha! You really think you of all people can stop me at this point?! No, Nathaniel, you are far too late to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride!"

"What do you mean we're already too late?!" said Diane, alarmed. "What have you done, Scar?!"

The only response she received was the sound of Scar snickering triumphantly. His words, while cryptic, were to be taken seriously, and Nathaniel instantly began to prod around for anything out of the ordinary.

"D-Dammit, the controls!" he proclaimed after a bit.

"Nate? W-What's going on?!" asked Diane. Her husband was frantically hitting every button he could find on the control panel of the plane.

"Bah! It's too late!" Nathaniel slammed his fists against the dashboard in frustration, ready to break the bloody thing.

"What?! What's too late?!"

"Heh! It looks like he's figured it out!" Scar reveled in the other's despair and vexation. "I've done a few...modifications to the autopilot, you see. I've set this plane on a crash course with a nearby city, one that's densely populated."

Diane's eyes widened. "N-No! I-If this thing were to crash there...!"

"Yes, I see your imagination is working nicely!"

"N-Nathaniel, disable the autopilot before...!"

"I tried! I can't! Whatever he did looks like it's permanent! But when?! When did he...?!" Nathaniel reminisced back to when Scar first arrived that day. "T-That's right! He said he was messing with something inside the jet before takeoff! Dammit! If only I'd noticed sooner!"

Scar retook his seat. "The method of how I did all this is irrelevant at this point. The two of you should instead be trying to figure out a way to stop me. Not that you can, of course, though I admit it'll be interesting to see you try anyway."

"...Why?! Why are you doing this?!" Nathaniel demanded of Scar.

"'Why?' My, you two are certainly full of questions today. Do I really need a reason at this point? Perhaps I simply want to see the look on Jerry's face when hears about all this. Yes, that would be reward enough!"

"Y-You can't just do something like that! You just can't!" cried Diane.

"And yet here I am about to do just that!"

"You do realize you're going to be blown to bits like the thousands of people you're about to kill, right?!" yelled Nathaniel.

"You think so?"

"...You've readied an escape route, haven't you?" asked Diane resentfully. "It's not like you to plan something this extravagant without having some sort of contingency to ensure your own survival."

Scar grinned. "You know me well, Diane."

"...More than I'd like to at this point..."

Scar, inching his hand behind him, retrieved a metallic gun of unknown origins. He aimed it at an unsuspecting Nathaniel and blasted him with an intense beam of light. As her husband crumpled onto the floor, Diane watched him with her hands over her mouth in horror.

"You needn't worry. I didn't kill him...yet," said Scar, holding up his weapon proudly. "This is actually a new invention of mine. It's rather nice, isn't it? It renders the victim quite paralyzed for a short time. Oh, and it also leaves whoever it hits wracked in unimaginable pain."

As proof of this, Nathaniel let out a series of cries and hollers, unable to move an inch while doing so.

"I don't really have a name for this thing yet," Scar continued. "I presented it to Jerry, but he rejected it on the grounds of it being too 'barbaric.' That's going a bit too far, don't you think?"

"Y-You monster!" Diane replied. Tempted to check on her husband, she stopped in her tracks when Scar pointed his gun at her. "...How long have you been planning this?! Days?! Weeks?! Months?!"

"Let's just say long enough. I'm surprised neither you or your husband saw this coming. Then again, neither of you were the sharpest tools in the shed. How could you be when you unfailingly go along with everything Jerry says?!"

"He's a good man, Scar! He's doing good things for the world!"

"Keep believing in that delusion."

"Tsk! I'm done trying to get through to you! I'm just going to go through you instead!"

Diane charged straight for the man she no longer considered a friend, and in response, Scar fired off a shot at her. Rolling to the side, Diane slammed her shoulder into Scar, sending the two of them into the dashboard behind them. They tussled and fought for control until Scar kicked her back toward Christine.

"Whoa! S-Sorry, sweetie! I nearly flattened you like a pancake!" she joked.

"Touching." Scar, standing over her, neared his gadget at her a second time. "If you wish, I can take care of you and your precious daughter before the plane even crashes. It's the least I can do after our years of working side-by-side."

"I don't care what you do to me, but I'm not letting you lay a finger on Christine!"

Diane grabbed a thick, black blanket and carefully wrapped her daughter inside of it without disturbing her. Despite Scar being baffled by this, he hadn't the time to ask Diane what she was plotting because a pair of thick arms wrapped themselves around him. He looked behind him, cackling at the sight of Nathaniel.

"Impressive. My gadget should have immobilized you for a number of hours. Perhaps it needs a bit more fine tuning."

"Like I'd let you harm a hair on my family's head! I'm putting a stop to this! I'm putting a stop to you, Scar!"

"Yes, you keep saying that, yet your words hold no meaning to me. You can't even stop this plane."

"That's where you're wrong, Scar! I can still engage the manual override!"

"Impossible. We've already established I and I alone have complete control over this vessel."

"Wrong again, Scar! We still have a hand we can play here!"

"W-What?! What are you trying to say?!"

"Ah, I almost forgot about that!" said Diane, puzzling Scar even further. "Oh, you don't know? What a shame! In case of an emergency, we can use our WOOHP IDs to override the autopilot! It's a new feature they added to these things a couple months back!"

"W-What?! T-That can't be! Jerry didn't...!"

"Of course Jerry didn't tell you," said Nathaniel. "It's clear to us now that he doesn't trust you! Even though we didn't see it, maybe he already figured out who you really were and what you were capable of!"

"You think you're so smart, Scar, but it seems Jerry's always one step ahead of you!" said Diane playfully. "There's a reason he's leader of WOOHP, while you're not!"

This latest wound to his pride made Scar's rage increase tenfold. How could Jerry trust the likes of them with such valuable information, but not him? It was inconceivable.

"That old fool!" he muttered through clenched teeth. "I-It doesn't matter if you can disengage the autopilot! I've already armed the missile, meaning it's going to explode at a moment's notice! You won't have time to reroute this plane anywhere safely!"

"...Worse come to worse, we can simply crash this thing somewhere it won't hurt anyone," replied Nathaniel.

"...Surely you aren't saying you both would needlessly throw away your lives for people you don't even know?!"

"That's the difference between us and you, Scar: we're more than willing to help those in need. You, on the other hand, only care about yourself!"

Becoming increasingly incensed, Scar replied, "You both are imbeciles! You wish for your daughter to go down in a blaze of glory as well?!"

Diane shook her head. "Chris has a future! A bright one! Even if the two of us, or even WOOHP for that matter, can't stop you, Chris certainly can!"

Scar watched as Diane picked Chris up before walking over to plane's hatch. Upon opening it, she was greeted by an intense gust of air that half near swept her off her feet.

"This is it, Christine," she said, warmly gazing down at her child. Chris moved a bit from underneath her blanket, but remained fast asleep. "I hope you won't be too upset with your father and I once you learn what happened here. Just do us a favor and promise to be a good girl, okay? I just know you'll do great things! After all, you're our daughter! Never forget though that we love you! We always will!"

A heavy-hearted Diane gently tossed Chris out of the plane. Seconds later, the blanket wrapped tightly around her daughter expanded until it formed a parachute that began harmlessly floating downward. Tears welled in Diane's eyes as she viewed her daughter grow farther and farther out of sight.

"I figured I'd only be sending her off like this for college or something, but..."

"I see. That blanket was actually a gadget," said Scar. "Clever."

"Diane, here! Take my ID card!" Nathaniel tossed his wife the mentioned item. "You just need to insert them into those slots over there!"

"Got it!" Diane practically slammed the cards into the control panel. "Alright! I've got control now! Okay, I see a forest right below us! It'd probably be alright to bring the jet down there!"

"Sounds good! Just hurry!"

"Alright, alright! No need to rush me! It's not like I have any experience intentionally crashing a damn plane or anything!"

Squirming in Nathaniel's grasp, Scar stated, "T-This is pure lunacy! You two may have a suicide wish, but I don't!"

Without warning, he drove the back of his head into Nathaniel's nose. There was nothing fancy or graceful about the move, but it at least forced his captor to release him. Seeing red at this point, Scar took hold of his gadget and aimed it menacingly at Nathaniel, who hadn't yet recovered.

"This is something I should've done a long time ago!" he roared.

"Look out!" Diane saw what was occurring, and at the last moment, she kicked Scar's arm up. Because of this, he accidentally shot himself in the jaw.

"A-AAA-AGH!" Scar howled at the top of his lungs. His pain, indescribable, caused him to rock back and forth until he came dangerously close to the still open airlock. Despite Nathaniel and Diane trying to save him, he fell right out of their grasp and out of the plane, vanishing into the night.

"Well...I...suppose that takes care of one problem," said Nathaniel. Though he was hardly upset to see Scar go, it was still hard for him to swallow the fact his friend had been as vile as the villains they swore to apprehend. "Guess that's the end of our team, huh, honey?"

"Nevermind that! We gotta do something about this plane!" exclaimed Diane.

"The plane? A-Ah, that's right! Who knows how much time we have left until that missile detonates!"

Pressing down on the throttle as hard as he could, Nathaniel wasn't able to get the plane to budge. It was solely when Diane joined in did they manage to sharply direct the jet toward the ground, a decision they wouldn't be able to take back at their present altitude.

"Diane, you better get out of here while you can. No sense in both of us dying and leaving Chris all alone."

Diane smirked. "...You know it's far too late for me to leave. Besides, I can't abandon you. You're my husband. I'm worried about Chris too, but I also think she'll just be fine. She's a strong girl. She has our blood flowing through her! Whatever the world throws at her, I'm certain she can tackle it head on!"

"Hahaha! You're right! I should know better than to underestimate our little girl!"

The two held hands as the plane sunk lower and lower. Soon enough, the vessel was mere seconds away from the making impact.

#

Scar awoke in a total daze. Having no clue where he was or even what had transpired beforehand, he groggily fought himself out of the parachute covering him so he could get a proper look around. He was in a dense, pitch-black forest, one where he could hardly see three feet in front of him. Both his head and his jaw pained him greatly, and as he growled like a rabid dog, he suddenly recalled Nathaniel and Diane as the cause of his suffering.

"Those two imbeciles! They're going to...!" He stopped mid-sentence, noticing a faint glow in the distance. "What's this? I smell burning fuel. ...I think I have an idea as to what's going on now."

He ripped a piece of his parachute off to use as a temporary bandage for his jaw wound ahead of dashing toward the source of light. The closer he got to it, the stronger the scent in the air intensified. Black smoke greeted him soon after, and before he knew it, he stumbled onto the wreckage of a pink jet with the WOOHP insignia on it.

"...Tsk. So they managed to save the day after all."

He stepped forward, ignoring the intense heat lashing at his person. Something was here amongst the charred rubble and debris, he thought. He wasn't sure how he knew, he just did. Indeed, his instincts led him to stumble upon something, something that made an absolutely terrifying smirk dance across his features.

#

"That something, of course, wasyou, Christine," said Scar, back in the present. His current smile matched the one from ten years ago. "I could hardly believe my eyes at the time. Thanks to your mother's endeavors, you hadn't a scratch on you from that immense fall you took. You know, I considered ending your life right then and there because of what your parents had done to me, yet I decided against it. I had the feeling you would be far more useful to me alive and well. So, I trained you how to be a spy for SOAP, and I taught you WOOHP was your mortal enemy. I have to say that everything worked out better than I ever imagined. You were an excellent spy, Christine, everything your parents billed you to be. Still, I find it rather humorous your parents hoped you would join WOOHP one day. Instead, you were helping me to destroy it!"

Scar placed his hand on his face, allowing the sound of his insane cackling to reverberate through Jerry Lewis' office. Chris, unable to think or even speak in response to his tale, remained motionless the whole time. Although her head told her his claims were lies meant to upset her, her heart knew the truth. Perhaps it always had. Dropping to her knees, she took her aggression out on the floor by pounding it over and over with her fists.

"D-Dammit! H-How could I have been so stupid?!"

Jerry, looking on, longed to say something, anything because he felt partly responsible for Chris' despair. He questioned if he should have searched harder for her instead of presuming she had gone the way of her parents, or maybe he could have tried a bit more to rid the world of Scar and his aspirations before even more tragedy struck. Erasing these thoughts from his psyche, he decided to turn his frustrations on where they truly belonged.

"You're nothing more than a monster, Scar! You aren't even human at this point! Nathaniel and Diane were your friends, yet you betrayed them! And for what?! Petty revenge against me for not acknowledging your abilities?!"

"I've grown past silly things such as 'friends' or 'love.' All I care about is getting what I rightly deserve!"

"And what exactly do you believe you ever deserved?! The reason I never promoted you is because I could sense your sinister ambitions! I hoped pairing you with kind people like Nathaniel and Diane would change your ways, but it's clear that was a terrible mistake on my part!"

"No,I'm the one that made the mistake!" declared Chris at that instance. She shot her reddened eyes at Scar, eyes that were brimming with hatred. "I guess this whole thing must've been real funny to you, huh?! Yeah, I bet you were giggling it up behind my back all these years! Well, the game is over now, Scar! I'm going to make you regret not killing me that night you found me!"

Scar smirked. "Really now? So, you actually believe you can defeat me? Remember, Christine, I'm the one that taught you everything you know!"

"Don't call me by that name! You don't have any right to use it!"

"Hmph. You never did like being me being so informal with you. Come now, I thought we were friends! Besides, you think you can just turn your back on me now that you know the truth? Hmm? Turn your back on all the malicious things you did in the name of SOAP?"

Chris, snarling at this, knew Scar had a point. She wished going undercover at Malibu University were the worst of her crimes.

"N-None of that matters now!" she replied. "I'm not gonna be used like a puppet anymore! Even if I destroy myself in the process, I'm taking you down, Scar! It's the least I can do for my parents!"

"'Your parents?' Ha! Nathaniel and Diane are likely rolling over in their graves over all the things you've done in their absence! How long do you plan on running from the truth? They made you out to be some sort of savior, someone who could stop me when the time came. Instead, you've become everything they were always foolishing prattling on about, everything they gave their lives to stamp out! You're a criminal, Christine! The same as me! That's right! We're exactly the same!"

Something within Chris snapped after hearing this. Scar might have been just egging her on, but she didn't care. Beside herself with rage, she lunged at him and reached out to crush him within her fingertips. Though he backed away, she was able to snatch the black mask covering his lower face right off.

"W-What the...?!" she said in response to what had been hiding behind that veil. Scar's entire jaw was composed of silver metal, and in the center, two menacing rows of teeth greeted her as he beamed. "I-I thought you might've been hiding a zit or an embarrassing birthmark under there, but...!"

"Hmph, frightening, isn't it? Your mother disfigured me like this. What you see now was all I could do to repair the extensive damage," said Scar, pressing his hand on the cold steel. "Yes, she got me good. I don't believe I'll ever forget the anguish I felt that day."

"You deserved that and more, you freak!" replied Chris, narrowing her eyelids.

"...You know, I really can't stand those eyes of yours. They remind me of Diane's."

Chris' eyelid jerked. Yet again, Scar had the gall to speak ill of one of her parents. Having heard more than enough from him, she went on the offensive once more, launching a variety of punches and kicks. All of these were effortlessly sidestepped, and for a moment, Chris felt like Scar knew what were coming before she did.

"See? You can't hit me with my own moves, Christine!"

"W-Would you just shut that rusted mouth of yours foronce?!"

She tried closing it forcefully, though Scar made the prospect easier in theory than execution. After parrying another of her strikes, he drove his fist in the dead center of her stomach. Chris, mistaking his blow for a truck running her over, recoiled backward and threw up a fair amount of blood. Her limbs, incapacitated by a mixture of pain and hesitation, refused to move when she commanded them left her easy prey for Scar, who stood above her to deliver the finishing blow. He never got the chance to however because he halted and swerved the other way to see Jerry flying at him.

"Nice try," he said, blocking his former mentor's kick with his forearm.

"I-Impossible!" cried Jerry.

"Not at all actually. You see, I knew the day when we would be forced to go up against one another would come, so I've studied your moves carefully over the years. I've managed to come up with a number of counters for them. This here is one of them."

He tossed Jerry into a wall using a simple gesture, knocking his former boss out cold instantly. Chris, now on her lonesome against Scar's wrath, sluggishly made her to a standing position. Everything around her seemed to be spinning, while her legs wobbled around violently. When she glanced up, Scar's outstretched hand was there to meet her. His cold fingers wrapped themselves around her neck, and he lifted her before shoving her against a wall.

"R-Release me at one, you...!"

"Now, now, now, Christine. You shouldn't take that tone with your godfather of all people." Scar tightened his grasp, and Chris' face reddened in response. "After all, I'm about to reward you for your years of hard work."

"What?! Aren't you going to kill me like you killed my parents?! If that's the case, just get it over with already! I'm tired of hearing you babble on about nothing!"

"Hmm? I'm planning to do no such thing, Christine!" Scar replied casually. This put Chris on edge even more. "Like I stated, I'm going to thank you for being such a good spy."

"Seriously, what the hell are you talking about?! Are you mocking me?!"

"Oh, nothing of the sort. It was thanks to your assistance that I was finally able to take WOOHP for myself. As such, I'm going to takegood care of you."

He pulled out a gun, an object Chris recognized straightaway as the memory erasing weapon she stole from weapons lab here at WOOHP during her escape from the place a while back. Scar placed the butt of it right between her eyes, making them tremble.

"Since you're so broken up about everything that's happen, I'll help get rid of those painful memories in your heart. Goodbye, Christine. The life you once knew is now over."

Unable to do anything, Chris looked on as his finger wedged back on the trigger.

#

With a worn bag slung across her shoulder, Christine listlessly made her way down the side of a dirt road. It was rather hot today, and as she wiped some sweat off her forehead, she stared up and frowned. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky to shade her from the overbearing sun.

"I really can't stand the heat..."

The remark came out of her mouth without her really thinking. It might have been true, but she wasn't sure why. Trying to recall the reason made her head hurt, so she gave up.

"...What was I doing before this? Why am I here?"

Car after car zoomed past her whilst she kept forward. None of them provided her with the answers she required. A persistent, sharp pain shot through her skull, and at first, she attributed it to the buzz of the vehicles.

"...That's not it," she muttered. She couldn't help but feel it actually had something to do with her forgetting something of the utmost importance. "Something...important? But what? What is it I can remember? It's on the tip of my tongue..."

Stopping, she pulled a canteen of water out of her bag and greedily guzzled the liquid. Its metallic taste made her cringe, not to mention it was as warm as the air hovering about her, yet she was far too thirsty to complain. After finishing it off, she let out a sigh of relief. She then focused on the skyline again.

"I really hope it rains soon..."

Just then, a large, eighteen-wheeled truck pulled up to her, its tires screeching against the concrete street. Coughing because of the black smoke it emitted, she curiously waited to see what this was all about. A hefty, bearded man shot his head out of the truck's window and raised an eyebrow at her.

"You...look a little lost over there, kid," he stated. "Need a ride?"

Chris deliberated the proposition. "...I'm not sure. I feel like I'm supposed to be somewhere right now, but I can't quite remember."

"What, did you hit your head or something?"

"Maybe..." Chris placed her hand on her temple, noting the dull soreness remained.

"If you want, I could take you to a hospital or something. There's one not too far from here."

Chris shook her head. "No thank you, though I appreciate the offer. Still, I'm positive there's some place I need to be..."

The truck driver, not really understanding what she was saying, opened the passenger side door to his vehicle. "Get in. If there's some place you wanna go, I'll get you there. Still think we should get you to a hospital though."

After some apprehension, Chris climbed inside of the truck. Getting into a vehicle with a complete stranger probably wasn't a good idea, but she felt totally lost, willing to take any kind of aid. Upon sitting down, a cool breeze from the air conditioner danced against her sweat-laced skin.

"Thank goodness," she said in ecstasy.

The sound of the truck's engine roared to life as the driver hit the open road again.

"What's your name, kid?" he asked, trying to focus on driving and talking. His red mustache danced humorously when he spoke. Chris had to suppress a giggle.

"My...name?" she replied slowly. "I...don't remember."

"Not even that, huh? Any parents?" The trucker's thick mustache again flailed about.

"Parents? I...think so, but I don't think they're around anymore."

"Any friends or family in the area?"

"I really don't know. I don't even know where I am right now."

"Hmm? We're near Southern California. Well, more specifically, Beverly Hills."

Chris repeated 'Beverly Hills' under her breath and felt it sounded familiar.

"It's a little ways off, but I can take you there if you want. Maybe you'll find someone you recognize, or at the very least, someone who recognizes you," the truck driver said.

"...Thank you. I don't get it though. Why are you being so kind to me? You don't even know me."

The truck driver scratched his beard. "Hmm. I don't really know. I just saw you walking along the road back there, and my gut told me to stop and see how you were doing. That's really all there is to it."

Chris left it at that but smiled while she began peering out the window beside her. She no longer regretted climbing inside this eighteen-wheeler.

#

The hours flew by, and Chris, having taken a nap, stirred to the view of the sun being replaced by the moon alongside a vast array of stars in the night sky. The truck she hitched a ride on was just parking in front of a well-lit diner. Switching off the vehicle, the driver turned to her.

"Rise and shine," he said with a friendly smile that was obscured somewhat by his bushy facial hair. "You must be hungry, kiddo."

"Not...really," Chris muttered. Her stomach growling the second she finished saying that didn't do much to help her case. "Alright, maybe just a little."

The trucker laughed. "I'll get you something to eat inside. Come on."

Chris thanked him, and the two exited the truck, making their way inside the restaurant. It was mostly empty, save for a family enjoying a meal in the back and a man dining up front. Chris took a seat near him at the counter, whereas the trucker mentioned something about heading for the bathroom prior to disappearing. Now left alone, Chris awkwardly inspected the place. A woman in a pink uniform walked up to her from behind the counter, startling her a bit.

"Can I get ya somethin', hun?" she asked, pulling out a notepad to jot Chris' order down.

"N-No. I'm honestly not that hungry," Chris replied. Again, at the sound of food, her stomach tossed and turned. She blushed in response. "...R-Really, I'm okay right now."

"If ya say so." The woman readied to walk away to tend to other customers, but she paused and quietly stared at Chris for a bit. "Hmm, ya look familiar, hun!"

"I do?"

The woman snapped her fingers. "The Groove! That's where I've seen ya before! I was shoppin' a while back and saw ya hangin' out with some friends! Ya'll seemed to be having a good time!"

Chris hadn't the slightest idea what this woman was talking about, yet at the same time, it didn't feel as if she were making the story up. Even the name 'The Groove' rang a faint bell.

"What are ya doin' so far outta Beverly Hills, missy?" the waitress asked, now far more casual with her guest. "Takin' some time off school?"

"Not...exactly. I believe I'm searching for something. Maybe I'm actually searching for someone. I'm not sure. My...mind is a total fog right now."

"Wow. Ya seem really down on the dumps, missy!"

Chris weakly smiled. "I guess you could say that..."

"Sounds to me like ya just need to take some time off from whatever's botherin' ya! Say, are ya lookin' for a job?"

Moving her blue eyes up from the menu on the counter, Chris raised an eyebrow at the inquisition.

#

The spectacle the trucker beheld as he left the confines of the restroom wasn't one he had anticipated. Chris, wearing a pink uniform, ran all about the diner scribbling down customers orders and bringing them their requested meals. Scratching her head using her pen, she nodded feverishly at a man who was telling her what he wanted faster than she could jot down.

"Heh. Ain't that something." The trucker grinned underneath his bushy beard and walked up to the front counter. He then told the waitress who had offered Chris a job, "Guess it'd be alright if I left her in your hands then, ma'am."

She nodded and smiled back at him while he took his leave. Chris didn't notice this, being far too preoccupied asking a customer if he wanted his eggs scrambled or sunny-side up.

#

"I'd like a large cup of coffee! And don't forget the sugar this time, sweet cheeks!"

Chris' eyelid twitched at a rather unruly customer barking orders at her. She angrily wrote his order onto her notepad, nearly breaking the lead of her pencil from the sheer pressure she placed on it. The older gentleman took no heed of her ire and went back to eating the plate of scrambled eggs, sausage, and pancakes on the table in front of him. Leaving him to it, Chris readied to get his coffee when she held up at hearing the man begin to gag.

"Yuck! What is this slop you guys are serving here?!" he demanded to know. He spat the contents of his mouth into a napkin before dropping it on the ground. Chris, leering at it, knew she would have to clean that up. "Do you guys have a monkey cooking back there or something?!"

"...Sure. His name is Bubbles, and he makes the best damn flapjacks in the world," answered Chris. Her voice buzzed with sarcasm, making her volatile customer's face redden.

"Tch! Are all the waitresses here this sassy?!"

Chris put her hand on her hip. "...Look, you come here every morning, order food, and then complain about it. I really don't get it. If you don't like what we serve, just don't come back. None of us here are going to cry about your absence. I'm beginning to think you just like seeing me. While I'm flattered, I'd prefer to keep our relationship as professional as possible."

The customer looked as if he wanted to say something to defend himself, but unable to come up with anything, he simply scowled and stormed out of the diner. Chris smacked her lips. He would be back tomorrow and probably the next day as well. No matter how much Chris tried wrapping her brain around the strange routine, she couldn't come up with an answer for the man's peculiar tendencies.

"No doubt he'll complain about his damn coffee not having enough sugar again too. Last time he was here, we had to use an entire bag to satisfy him. If he really thinks it's that bitter, why doesn't he just order something else?"

Fortunately, the road stop diner was now empty with his departure. Not many came to eat so early in the morning. She noted the sun was barely up at this point. She usually worked the night and early morning shifts in the restaurant, meaning she only had a couple more hours before she could clock out. Yawning, she couldn't wait to go to bed after a hard night's work.

"Tired, hun?" asked the head waitress everyone affectionately referred to as 'Anna.' Chris wasn't even sure that was her real name or not. "Just hang in there a little longer! I'm gonna need ya when that breakfast rush comes in about an hour or two!"

Chris nodded, holding back another yawn. "Y-Yes, ma'am."

Anna studied Chris without a word for a couple of moments. This seemed to be one of her regular habits, although Chris wasn't sure why.

"Somethin' about ya seems different today," she then stated.

"Really now. I feel exactly the same as always."

"Not at all! Yer practically burstin' with energy today, hun! You didn't even curse out that guy who just left like ya always do!"

"I don't...always do it..." The shade of Chris' cheeks became beet red.

"I knew it was a good idea to hire ya, missy! I could tell you were special from the moment I laid my eyes on ya! Other people here at the diner didn't think ya could do the job properly, but I just told 'em to be quiet and watch!" Anna continued. Another one of her traits was to go on rambling about nothing in particular for extended periods of time. "Yer a real help around here! Having ya here is good for business too! Everyone's always comin' 'round now talking about the 'Mysterious Waitress' I hired!"

"T-Thank you," replied Chris sheepishly. She wasn't accustomed to such praise. "You...really did me a favor by hiring me, ma'am. I'd be lost without this job."

"Speakin' of that, have ya remembered anything about yerself yet?"

"Not really." Chris clutched her temple as if trying to spur her memories. "I'm still drawing a blank on pretty much everything."

"Well, don't try to force anything! Yer welcome around here for as long as you wanna stay! Yer so fast and efficient that I wouldn't mind if ya were around forever!"

Anna smiled warmly and walked away to take care of cleaning up behind the counter. Watching her go, Chris couldn't help but dwell on her boss calling her 'fast and efficient.' She really was, unnaturally so in fact. It was almost as if she had been trained to do things in a prompt fashion.

"...What was I doing before this?" she muttered. "It was something...shady. That much I'm sure of. Wasn't there this...guy who used to get on my nerves too?"

The name of this person danced on her thoughts. It didn't come to her however, and she shrugged, assuming she must have been imagining things in her sleep-deprived state.

The door to the diner creaked open out of the blue, accompanied by the sound of the bell above it ringing. The sound of it made Chris jump a bit. Three girls around her age then stepped in, taking seats near the back. The suspicious manner in which they entered made Chris scratch her head.

"I seriously hope they're not trouble. I'm not in the mood to deal with trouble," she mumbled.

"Aren't you going to take their orders?" asked Anna with a playful grin.

"R-Right. Of course." Chris nodded and retrieved her trusty notepad. It was mostly empty now from Chris having written some many orders over the past couple of days. Cautiously, she made her way over to the three girls, who in turn ceased their hushed whispering to look up at her. "Um...are you girls ready to order? If not, I can give you some more..."

"CHRIS!" the three screamed at the top of their lungs. Removing the sunglasses and baseball caps obscuring their features, Sam, Clover, and Alex leaped to their feet and wrapped their arms around an absolutely baffled Christine.

"Itis you!" said a weary-looking Sam. The heavy bags underneath her eyelids implied a lack of sleep. "We've been searching for youeverywhere! So you've been here this whole time?!"

"Er...y-yes," Chris replied slowly. "Do I...?"

Clover cut her off. "We've totally been worriedsick about you, missy! The folks around here were saying they saw someone working in this groady, old diner that looked like you, but we didn't think you were actually here! By the way, that uniform is totally tacky!"

Anna, naturally annoyed having her establishment insulted, shot a nasty glare at Clover, who only laughed anxiously in return.

"Good thing we checked here after all!" said Alex happily. "Er...c-could we still get something to eat though? I'm kinda hungry after all the hiding we've been doing!"

While Sam and Clover groaned at Alex's laxness, Chris wasn't really certain how to respond to the whole situation.

"Sorry. I think I'm the only one out of the loop here. You three seem to know me, but I have absolutely no clue who you are."

"H-Huh? Y-You're kidding, right?" Clover laughed weakly. "Real funny, Chris! It'sus!"

"Yeah, you're going to have to be a bit more specific. And who the heck is 'Chris?'"

Alex's jaw lowered in shock. "W-What?! D-Did you hit your head or something, Chris?!"

"She's lost her memory!" cried Sam in realization. "No wonder she didn't come back to WOOHP as soon as she could!"

Chris, losing her patience, said, "Look, I really don't know what you three are going on about, but if you aren't going to get anything to eat, you're going to have to leave."

Sam, Clover, and Alex had no issue with that, so long as Chris came with them. They forcefully pushed her out the double doors, and amidst her complaining about the fact, Anna chuckled while cleaning an empty glass.

"Guess she found her friends after all..."

#

"Q-Quit pushing!" cried Chris as the heels of her shoes dug against the soil. "A-Are you three trying to kidnap me or something?!"

Her alleged abductors released her and allowed things to grow uncomfortably quiet. Chris, checking behind herself, wondered if she should make a break for it while she had the chance.

"Well, I didn't see this coming," said Sam, breaking the silence. "If you really have lost your memory, Chris, it's come at a bad time. Things haven't exactly been going well since you were last at WOOHP."

"That Scar guy has totally taken over everything!" exclaimed Alex. She flailed her arms around passionately as she spoke. "He's so using WOOHP to do really bad things! Like really bad!"

"Since most of this isyour fault, you should totally be helping us kick your boss' butt, Chris!" added Clover.

Chris moved her head from one desperate expression to the next. Clearly, these girls needed her help for something. She just wished she understood what.

"Er...sorry to burst your bubbles, but I think you've got the wrong person here. By the way, I still have no idea who this 'Chris' person is you three keep going on about."

"Huh?! You don't even rememberthat?!" blurted Clover.

"Duh! That'syour name, silly!" chimed Alex.

"M-Me...?" Chris responded. The label did have a certain ring to it, an oddly familiar one at that. Pondering it made a sharp pain shoot through her skullhead. "A-Agh!"

"Are you alright?!" inquired Sam.

"Y-Yeah. I'm...used to that by now. Anyway, I think I'm finally beginning to remember something! That's right! M-My name really is Chris! How could I have forgotten?!"

Her friends, thrilled by the news, inched closer to her.

"Quick, do you remember anything else?!" asked Sam.

"Yeah, like how you lost your memory in the first place?" added Alex.

"How about our favorite store at The Groove?!" said Clover. "Because you said you were gonna buy me a new purse before all this crazy stuff went down!"

Chris frowned. "Really now, Clover? I highly doubt I...w-wait, how do I know your name?! I...think I know all of your names actually! You're Sam."

Sam nodded. "That's right!"

Chris then pointed at Alex. "And you're Alex, right?"

"Yep, that's me! Looks like your memory is coming back after all!"

Slowly, but surely, that appeared to be the case. Nevertheless, there was another thing Chris sensed it was essential to recall, something unbelievably vital. Whatever it was remained a mystery to her since she wasn't able to pry anymore information from the locked vault that was her mind.

"Well, I suppose this is a start," said Sam. "Still, if we're going to stop that madman Scar, we'll need to help Chris getall of her memories back ASAP! She might know something we don't about all this, like one of Scar's weaknesses!"

"'Scar...?' Who is that? And why is stopping him so important?" asked Chris.

"Duh! The fate of the world itself could be at stake if we don't do something about that wacko!" explained Clover dramatically.

"You gotta knowsomething, Chris! The last thing Jerry told us was to find you, so we totally figured you must have something up your sleeve!" said Alex.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I really don't. At least...I might have but don't remember. Anyway, this whole thing sounds rather urgent. I seriously don't get how I could possibly be of any help to you three though. I'm just a waitress," said Chris.

A smirking Sam answered, "Trust me. I think you'll do fine."

#

The past couple of days had been rather rough for Jerry Lewis. In spite of his best efforts, his organization had been taken over by a total lunatic. That very same individual was also keeping him captive, leaving him powerless to change things. Jerry glowered at the person in question, disgusted at the fact the man was sitting behind his own desk as if he were the one in charge of WOOHP.

"You know, it's not nice to stare, Jerry." Scar, taking amusement in his own words, kicked his feet up on Jerry's desk, knocking over a picture of Jerry and his mother. "Heh. Sorry about that. I know how much you treasure that old bag of. How's she doing by the way? We haven't chatted in ages. Perhaps I'll take a trip to jolly, old England after all this blows over and see how she is for myself."

Jerry's eyes widened. "I don't care in the least what you have planned for me, Scar, but leave my dear mother out of this!"

The distress in Jerry's voice was music to Scar's ears. He got a good laugh out of it too, and Jerry wished he could break the glowing restraints binding him to the chair he sat in so he could shut up his former pupil once and for all.

"I thought I already told you not to bother squirming around like that," said Scar. "I created those chains myself. The harder you struggle, the tighter they get."

"I've noticed." Jerry tried relaxing when Scar's little invention squeezed against his flesh harder. "You've had me tied up like this for a few days now. What exactly are you planning to do with me?"

"You know, I haven't quite decided yet. It's not everyday I get an opportunity like this, so I'm trying to make the most of it."

"How charming..."

Reaching for piping hot cup of Earl Grey tea, Scar pressed it up to his metallic lips, letting the drink swim around in his mouth for a bit.

"Revolting," he stated after spitting it back out. "I don't understand how anyone could guzzle down this dirty mop water on a regular basis."

"I suppose your palate, like your demeanor, isn't refined enough for it," said Jerry plainly.

"Hmph. Despite being restrained, it seems that mouth of yours hasn't ceased working yet. Whatever. Mock me for as long as you can, Jerry. You're time in this world is running thin."

Scar opted to partake on something more to his liking. He retrieved a bottle of wine and poured the red substance into a clear glass. His nostrils flared up at its sweet aroma.

"I'll savor this wine like I'm savoring my final victory against WOOHP." He took a healthy sip of it, adding, "Ah! They both taste sweet."

"You'll never get away with this, Scar! Do you truly believe you can get rid of me like you did with Christine?"

Scar's head shot up at this. "...Christine, you say? Heh, you know as well as I do that that person no longer exists, Jerry. Indeed."

"You think erasing her memory will get her out of your hair, do you?"

"...Like I said, that individual no longer exists, so there's no point speaking of her further. I never was one to dwell over the dead."

"You destroyed Chris and the rest of her family single-handedly! You're telling me there isn't an ounce of you that feels remorse for your despicable actions?!"

"It is indeed a shame what happened to Diane and Nathaniel.. Such a shame." Scar inhaled the rest of his drink before pouring himself another glass. "They were unfortunate victims in my grand scheme. Of course, they didn't have to die. If they'd only cast aside their foolish notions of 'justice' and 'love', they might be here today. Chris as well. You know, I actually took a liking to her. She was almost like a surrogate daughter for me."

"I don't believe that for a second! You never cared for that poor girl in the slightest! You simply used her for your own gain!"

Scar chewed the claim over. "...Perhaps. I'll admit she did try at my nerves. Her face looked so much like Diane's that it was difficult for me not to lash out at her. Anyway, using her skills to my advantage certainly paid off in the long run, so to answer your question about me feeling sorry for my actions, no, of course not. I've obtained everything I've ever wanted, so why on earth would I be feeling anything like regret?"

Talking with Scar was enough to make Jerry's stomach turn. How such a heartless monster could even exist was beyond him.

"I should've done something about you a long time ago, Scar. Everything you've put Christine through is as much my fault as it is yours."

"Heh. Does that make us accomplices then?"

Jerry remained silent this time around, questioning if that really was the case.

"Lighten up, old man. You should learn to laugh while you still have the opportunity," said Scar. "I'll even pour you a glass of wine for old time's sake!"

Holding out the mentioned glass, Scar's attention changed to the sliding doors leading into the office when they opened suddenly. A Tabitha android bounced her way inside, saluting once she reached the front desk.

"Yo! We've totally taken over the building! Sorry it took so long, boss! Those WOOHP agents weren't going down without a fight!"

"Very good. I want you and your compatriots to secure a perimeter around the building. I don't want anyone or anything leaving this place without my permission."

Tabitha wasn't listening. "Hey, what's that you're drinking there! Is it juice?! I want some juice!"

"Tabitha, focus. I need you to..."

"Gimmegimmegimmegimmegimmegimme!"

"It's not juice!" yelled Scar, wanting to smack the android. She became still afterward. "Forget about that! Did you take care of that other thing I asked you and your brethren to do?"

Tabitha put her finger on her chin, having to think about it. "We sure did! We released all the prisoners from the containment facility just like you asked!"

"WHAT?!" gasped Jerry. "D-Do you realize what you've just done, Scar?!"

Scar stirred his finger around the edges of his glass. "Hmph. I'm fully aware, Jerry. I just wanted to stir up a bit of...'trouble.' I'm sure you don't mind."

"You really are a madman! You have to stop this at once and return those criminals to their cells! Just think of the amount of damage they could cause!"

"Precisely! Isn't it wonderful?!" An insane look swept across Scar's visage. "The best part about all of this is that there aren't any WOOHP agents to stop the chaos from spreading!"

"That's right! We got all of 'em!" said Tabitha proudly.

"Wrong, Scar! You haven't disposed ofall my agents!" Jerry proclaimed.

"...I don't like the confidence in your voice right now," replied Scar. "Are you perhaps referring to those three, bumbling agents of yours that managed to slip between my fingertips? Haha! It seems you have confidence in their abilities, but even if they're that good, they'll have a hard time trying to apprehend so many criminals and attempt to stop me! Give it up, Jerry! Neither they or anyone else is coming to your aid!"

"You underestimate my agents! Sam, Clover, and Alexalways find a way to get the job done! I have complete faith in them!"

"...You know, you really sicken me when you talk like this. You used to shower Nathaniel and Diane with that sort of praise as well, but neverme."

"Do you really think you were ever worthy of such praise?"

Growing incensed, Scar abruptly tossed the glass in his grasp at Jerry. It missed, hitting the wall beside him. Red liquid spilled to the floor, and as it do so, Jerry shook his head disapprovingly.

"I have a wonderful idea!" Scar composed himself again and sat back down. "Before I dispose of you, Jerry, I'll allow you to witness the destruction of your precious spies!"

"...What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I'm glad you asked. You see, I had my army of Tabithas promise all the rogues and scoundrels they released from the containment facility to agree to something prior to their liberation. Unsurprisingly, most of them were more than willing to comply with my little request."

"And that was?"

"Oh, it's quite simple. I just asked the lot of them hunt down and destroy those three spies you're always doting over. The spectacle should be quite entertaining. I'm just curious to see how long they last. If they're as skilled as you claim them to be, I'm sure they'll do just fine!"

The rather casual deceleration was met with a drawn out gasp and expression of utter dismay from Jerry. Grinning, this was precisely the reaction Scar desired.

"...Things are about to get a bit more interesting, don't you think?"

END