Ok, so it's been many months since I've written this…and I don't like that. School is more hectic than ever. But I can absolutely promise that this fanfic will be finished. We're nearing the end (only one or two after this one), so I'm in the home stretch! Yay! Thank you everyone who has stuck with this even though there's been such a long unintentional hiatus! Free hugs for everyone! :D

Chapter 14 – More Blackmail

"We're gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

The others looked excitedly to each other, their smiles of excitement confusing Arnold even more. Why were they so excited about confronting the most powerful kid in all of P.S. 118?

"H…how exactly are you going to do that?" he asked. But he didn't get a response, for the group had already stood up and was carefully exiting the room.

"Come on, Arnold." Helga grabbed his wrist and started pulling him behind her, out of the room.

She was pulling him so fast that he barely had time to call to Phil, "I'm going out, Phil. Don't know when I'll be back."

"I'll leave a dinner plate in the fridge," Phil called, and it was the last thing Arnold heard before he was out on the stoop, at the bottom of which everyone had started breaking into a fast power walk.

Even though Arnold tried to ask the others what exactly they were planning to do, they all seemed too excited to talk. They practically ran the many blocks to Big Gino's hideout, and it was all Arnold could to keep up with them. He wished they would slow down; he had to take three steps for every one step that Stinky took just when they were walking. At full speed, most of them could easily leave him behind.

They reached the hideout in record time, and Helga didn't bother to knock on the door. She gracefully offered it to Harold, who rammed it down with his shoulder in one hit. It slammed quickly on the ground, creating a brown dirt cloud which hid the inside of the hideout from sight.

When the dust cloud cleared, the gang was surprised to find Big Gino standing just inches from the fallen door, at ease and drinking a Yahoo soda through a bright green bendy straw.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. I knew you would be showing up sooner or later," Big Gino said calmly, taking a step towards them. "Although, it would have been nicer of you to have kept my door intact. You should try knocking next time."

"Shove it, Big Gino, you know why we're here," Helga snarled, but Gerald put a hand on her shoulder to hold her back.

"Easy, Helga. We're here for calm, civilized negotiation," he said, crossing his arms. "There's a situation that's recently come to our attention, and it just doesn't sit well with us."

"Well, if it's negotiation you want," Big Gino said, "then I am obliged to invite you in. We shouldn't have conversations through doorways." He stood aside to let the group through, letting Arnold see his sneaky grin. He closed the door behind them, and walked over to his desk where he turned on his desk light. It was the only light on in the room, and it gave it an eerie feeling of interrogation.

"So, what can I do for you on this fine afternoon?" Big Gino asked as he sat in his tall swivel chair. "I'm ready to negotiate business."

"Guys, you don't have to do this for me…" Arnold began, but Helga didn't seem to hear him and started speaking.

"In a nutshell, you got something on Arnold and we want you to relinquish it. Comprendes?"

"And if I don't?"

Helga growled angrily, and Gerald held her back again.

"Shall I handle the negotiations again?" he asked, but didn't wait for a response before he continued, "What we want is fairness, and for Arnold to not have such a burden to early into his time here in Hillwood. He hasn't even been here a week and he's already dealing with this kind of stuff? It's just not right."

"The world's a funny place, isn't it, Gerald?" Big Gino commented.

Gerald continued without skipping a beat. "Since you've revealed his secret, it's obvious that he has not lived up to some orders that you have given him."

"Correct," Big Gino said. "I gave him a simple job in exchange for the keeping of his secret, and he failed at the job. Naturally, I kept my word and posted the proof everywhere."

"What was this job?" Helga snarled.

"That's confidential business."

"Anyway," Gerald continued, "but don't you think that Arnold has suffered enough? Don't you think that it's time you let him go?"

"Gerald…" Arnold began, but Gerald either didn't hear him or chose not to listen.

"I mean, what more could you possibly use him for? What use is he now that he can't return to P.S. 118, since everybody there already knows that he's a fraud?"

Arnold shifted nervously. It wasn't like I intended to be a fraud, he thought, blushing. He was glad that there was little light in the room, or he would have blushed more just from the embarrassment of blushing.

"I'll tell you the reason," Big Gino said, unwrapping a lollipop, "It's because I haven't yet gotten what I want."

"What do you want!" Helga burst out, throwing her hands up in frustration. Big Gino's smile faltered a bit, and he stood on his chair. It didn't add much height, but it showed that he was pretty upset.

"What I want," his voice grew louder, "is for you to go down. For too long I've put up with your little group of truth, finding ways for kids to weasel their way out of my debt. For too long I've had to answer to you when you exposed my plans.

"I told you long ago, Pataki, that I was the king of the school. And to hell if I'm not going to stay that way until I graduate, or beyond! Just you wait; by the time we get to high school, you'll be sorry you ever messed with me in elementary school! You'll be the lowest of the low, doing my most difficult errands just to scrape an ounce of respect in the world of high school!"

He realized that he was now standing on his desk, and quickly took back his seat in his chair. "So, what's it gonna be? You gonna leave me to my business, or are you gonna put the legal safety of my client Arnold here in danger?"

"Client?" Arnold asked.

"What do you mean?" Gerald asked, "Everybody already knows. What's the big deal now?"

Big Gino's smile got so big; it seemed to take up his entire face. "Well now, surely you don't know the real-world consequences of identity theft, do you?"

The gang shook their heads, all except Arnold, who felt as if he were frozen stiff in a block of ice. He could tell that the gang was running out of ideas; they were now on the defensive.

"In the real, grown-up world, if someone pretends to be someone else, the penalty can be going to jail, maybe for most of your life. Do you really want to do that to your friend? I mean, he hasn't even gotten to fifth grade yet. What will his parents say when they find out their son has to go to jail until he's as old as they are?"

Even though the outside of him felt frozen solid, Arnold's insides were blazing like a bonfire. Normally the mention of his parents made him sad, but Big Gino's mocking tone made him downright angry. He wanted to leap over the desk and rip the smile right off of his tiny face.

Helga put a hand on Arnold's shoulder, which calmed him, and also seemed to melt his outsides and cool down his insides. The urge to knock Big Gino senseless subsided, and he felt a fondness towards Helga he hadn't felt before.

He found control over his head and looked over to Gerald, who seemed deep in thought. If there was a time for Gerald to come up with a brilliant escape plan, it was now. Then he remembered that it was usually him to come up with a resolution in times of need. He closed his eyes to his signature half-lidded gaze and let his mind wander, searching for a solution.

Think, Arnold, think! He thought. You can get out of this, you know you can! You did it with Sid, and Stinky, and Harold, and even Phoebe. It's time you found a way to help yourself for once!

"So, what's it gonna be, Arnold? You gonna come back and work for me, or do I have to take more drastic measures and take your whole group down with you?"

And then it hit him. The only way to get out of Big Gino's bind was to fight fire with fire. Or in this case, legalities with legalities. He felt a surge of confidence, and spoke with an unwavering voice.

"Why don't we continue discussing this tomorrow, at our office?" Arnold said, "I'll give you my answer then." He turned about-face and marched straight out of Big Gino's hideout. The others followed behind slowly, and it wasn't until the door slammed shut behind them that Helga spoke.

"What are you doing, Arnold?" she asked as they walked back to the boardinghouse. "Do you have a plan? Tell us!"

Arnold smiled. "You guys don't have to worry about it. I'm going back home to do a little research, and I'll find a way to come into school tomorrow. I'll take care of everything; all you need to do is be prepared for me to get rid of your Big Gino problem once and for all. 'Cause I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

He grinned and waved as he turned down Vine Street, leaving Helga, Gerald, Phoebe, Harold, and Stinky at the corner, speechless.