RJ and Martin:

Chapter 29: Answers Are Best Elsewhere

Under the watchful eye of the surveillance cameras, Martin waited as the door opened and he walked up to the chair. He sat down and faced the sell of the fully cloaked woman. While he waited to begin his interrogation, GJ scientists were on their computers while the others observed the discussion.

"For an alien, you have some nerve," Martin was the first to speak coldly.

"Thank you," the prisoner said behind the solid glass wall that separated them. "Though 'alien' is a bit rough. Sure, Crown Heights is a tough neighborhood..."

"Wait, what?" Martin blinked.

"Oh, right. I keep forgetting." She held her hands up to her helmet. Martin heard a clicking sound and saw her taking off her helmet.

"What the Hell?" Dr. Director said when she saw what was going on in the cameras.

They had all expected some kind of green skinned alien. Instead, they were looking at a nineteen-year-old human girl. She had the basics of a pretty Caucasian girl with shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, and lovely facial features, the kind of girl who'd drive a motorcycle with that outfit of hers, but then the image was ruined by her 'faults'. The tips of her hair had been curled up to make it look like she had spikes growing from her shoulders. Faint blue and purple veins could be seen growing from her neck to the bottom of her eyes, and in them were small lights blinking.

"You're human?" Martin was shocked. "Why on earth would you turn against your own planet?"

She stood up and hit the glass wall that separated them, making her metal claws leave tiny scratches. "You think this is voluntary?" She snarled and waved her hands up and down her body. "Look at me! Half of me is full of alien nanotechnology, turning me into a half human, half alien tech bionic being trained by my captors to become a full-service mercenary and assassin!"

"So you were kidnapped," Martin said calmly. Still, seeing the scratches she left on her cell's glass walls was unnerving. "Did the Lorwardians make you into... this?"

"Nope." She leaned and tapped her metal claws on the glass, making the noises sound like a creepy clock ticking. "The alien race that made me what I am is made of only providers. Though they are as psychotic as the Lorwardians, only with different techniques."

"I don't get it," Martin shook her head.

"You know how it worked with slaves back in the old days? Europe provided them to the colonies, but they get those slaves from another nation. They don't sell their own. It's a similar thing with the Felindrax."

"The race that kidnapped you."

"No, the race that gave me cookies." The girl rolled her eyes before waving her hands and shouting: "OF COURSE IT'S THE RACE THAT KIDNAPPED ME! It's the way they work: instead of shedding their own blood, they kidnap little girls from other planets, force them to go through operations, and train them with the promise that whoever steps up to be the best of their 'force' will gain the key to her freedom. Basically, it's like gods creating the Amazons and bribing them with actual life if they fight for them." She sat back down on the floor. "I was only six when I was taken from Earth. It will be the 14th anniversary in July."

"I'm...sorry?" Martin said, confused about why he was feeling a bit of sympathy for her.

"I don't need your pity," she said drily. "Honestly, I could care less of what you people think of me. In a matter of time, it won't matter. When my client is through with his plans, I'll be pulling the key to my freedom and getting my life back... That is, once I shed the blood of the girl."

Martin punched on the glass wall. "What do you want with her and who on Earth is your client?"

"He's one of the biggest madmen in the universe," she shrugged. "Honestly, his 'avenging plan' is just a big blow for what he plans to do on his own planet. Talk about a guy with a big ego. As for what I want with your girlfriend... you'd better ask your mom."

A ringing tone with the tune of 'Gold Digger' came out of her pocket. The girl gave an awkward frozen smile and held out a finger of 'Not a word' to Martin. She pulled out some form of purple space PDA and tapped on it. A voice came from the device. "Hey, boss! Where are you?"

"Trolling the enemy. I let them capture me so that I could find out where the girl is. Turns out that the whole 'She's-in-Scotland' claim was just a ruse from the healer. You know, a hoax like the Loch Ness Monster."

Thank goodness, Martin sighed mentally. Hopefully she doesn't find out that RJ is actually in Nottingham.

"Yeah, we kind of figured it out two when we got there. But then we went all over the country. The girl's nowhere in England."

"What?" The metal-clawed girl was clutching her device.

"Oh, and Diamona went all over Nottingham. She couldn't find the fish anywhere."

"Fish? What... AAAH!" The girl screamed so loud, almost everyone in the base had to cover their ears. It's a miracle that the glass of her cell didn't break. Martin covered his ear and made his way out. "THE FISH MUTANT KNEW! FIND HIM AND WE FIND THE GIRL! FIRST ONE TO FIND A CLUE NOTIFIES THE OTHERS AND WE MEET UP IN WHATEVER PIT HE'S HIDING THE BRAT!"

Martin got to the room where the other's waited him. "That is one agitated young lady," SeƱor Senior (x2) remarked as he kept looking at the surveillance camera.

"Gilliard's not in Nottingham," Martin said. "Therefore, RJ's not there."

"Phew!" Melgo and Buffy sighed in relief.

"Why would Ronilda go to Nottingham?" Dr. Possible asked the Fiskes.

"Well she and Gilliard said that she decided to come with him to this video game convention this weekend." The Simian Witch rubbed her chin in thought. "But I thought they were leaving tomorrow."

"They left this morning, mistress," Kronos lowered his head. "At the last minute, most of the trains or buses were overbooked, so they took an earlier ride leaving today. Though judging by what we found out, they lied."

"I feel both relieved and insulted that my best friend and my girlfriend lied to me," Martin said.

"Gilliard did say he did not get the same alumni gathering invitation that we got," Gil Moss raised his hand. "Knowing him, he must have figured out that the villains being gathered for different reasons on the same day at the Minalshari was a trick."

"Guess he is smart," Secretary Magali rolled her eyes.

"But if he and RJ are not in Nottingham or in England," Monkey Fist said, "then where are they?"

Meanwhile

The plane landed in the Dubai International Airport just a bit around sunset. Once they got out of the gate, they rushed to the bathroom. Alva had given them instructions of going to the bathrooms as soon as they arrive, find the package covered in waterproof paper hidden in the toilet, and put on their disguises to pass on as Turkish tourists. Ten minutes later, RJ came out wearing a black long-sleeved, ankle-length dress with purple Mullein flower petals, a beige veil, black sunglasses, and black flats. Gilliard shielded himself in a black thawb that covered most of his scaly areas, beige gloves, sunglasses, boots, and a turban.

They easily made it through security with their false papers, and since RJ knew how to speak and read Arabic, the guards barely blinked in mistrust. They managed to buy the idea of Americans living in Turkey who decided to go to Dubai on vacation.

Alva Electronique waited for them by the exit. He didn't need some kind of name sign or to wave his hand to indicate his position to them. Even with his dark blue thawb, turban, and sunglasses, Gilliard and RJ could see the small sparks of electricity that glitched through the blue skin he was hiding. He brought them to the van he had parked in the airport's parking lot and drove them through the streets bordered by palm streets. RJ looked through the window, fascinated to be in the United Arabs Emirates.

"I managed to use my links to get you guys in a spot not too far from where Pablo Preston is staying," Alva said as he drove the van.

"Where's he staying?" Gilliard asked.

"The Sheikh's vacation palace in the Dubai Marina. Since the Sheikh is doing the welcoming speech before Preston officially reveals himself and inaugurates the park's opening."

"Has the Sheikh seen Pablo Preston's face?" RJ briefly looked away from the window.

"Nope. The famous faceless billionaire wears a turban and a veil covering half of his face whenever he visits an Arabic country." Alva made a left turn. "Not even the royalty or Prime Ministers and other governmental leaders have seen his face."

They hit heavy traffic for a while. As they passed many touristic neighborhoods, Old Dubai, and several souks, they saw a large amount of streets full of people lining up to go to mosques. While some of these people looked like tourists, most of them were religious people rushing to pray in the religious buildings, and if they couldn't do it indoors, they were groveling on the sidewalk.

"What's going on?" RJ asked as she saw what was going on in the streets.

"Religious paranoia. It's been going on since yesterday," Alva turned to look from his window at the scene outside. "Since yesterday morning, people have been going crazy, raving about how they had visions of Iblis coming to the Earth."

"They're afraid of ibises?" Gilliard frowned.

"Iblis," RJ corrected him. "The Quran version of Satan. An angel casted out of Heaven. The Muslim also believe that the ones from above who supported Iblis became djinns."

"You're very cultured," Alva nodded in impressment.

"Any reason why they think Satan came?" Gilliard asked.

"Beats me." Alva shrugged. "Though let's not question them."

RJ and Gilliard nodded. The former went back to looking at the people praying outside. Then she thought she had seen a phantom. She rubbed her eyes and looked again. It could not be possible.

There was no way she just saw Helga Ottoski dressed in a black veil and robe, groveling with the Muslims and winking at RJ.

RJ shook her head.

"Is everything OK?" Gilliard asked RJ.

She looked back outside. The old lady was nowhere in sight.

"The Netherfield crone... I thought I just saw her," RJ looked confused.

"The crone that hit you with a stick?" Gilliard frowned. "Why do you think you just saw that homeless witch here in Dubai?"

"Considering how she disappeared the last time I spoke to her in England..." RJ began.

"I think the whole talk about Iblis and your long flight have confused you," Alva said patiently.

They continued driving. A good driving later, they arrived in the fancy neighborhood where the hotel was. Even though the hotel was modernly fancy, it was nothing compared to the royal vacation palace that was right across the street from the hotel. A giant palace made of white marble and golden linings, twice the height of the hotel, a large garden surrounding the building, and a fence that could be four times the height of the guards if they chose to stand on each other's shoulders.

"Man, the amount of cash rich people pour out just to get their vacation," Gilliard whistled at the sight of the palace when they got out of the van. Alva picked up their luggage for them. RJ came out last and paused a bit to admire the view. Her admiration stopped once she saw Helga Ottoski making yet another appearance, this time staring at her while seemingly waiting for the pedestrian light to turn on. RJ quickly glanced at the boys, who were still talking. She groaned and rushed to where Helga Ottoski was standing.

"What the heck are you doing here?" She asked.

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," the crone shrugged.

"Bad thing? Last time we met, you were a homeless old lady who hit me with a stick, apologized later, and revealed you knew my name before vanishing!" RJ hissed. "What the heck are you doing in the streets of Dubai dressing up as a Muslim?"

"What? I'm culturally sensitive when I move. You think you're the only human I pop visits to whenever she needs counseling?"

"Human?" RJ frowned. The pedestrian walking light appeared. Helga Ottoski pulled out her stick and walked slower than a turtle onto the road. RJ followed her. Judging by how slow the crone was moving, RJ felt like she was the hare desperately waiting for the tortoise to move it. "What do you mean, 'whenever I need counseling'? For what? In case I run into an antisemite idiot while I'm here?"

"Silly girl!" Helga Ottoski laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "And they call me old fashion! Ha, ha!"

"RJ scowled. "You know, I'm starting to think that Gilliard wasn't kidding when he called you a witch."

"And I'm starting to think that you need to stop that car from hitting you." Helga Ottoski pointed her stick behind RJ. The latter turned and yelped when she saw a black SUV rushing towards her. She held out her hands and used her MMP to grab the car by the front and fry its systems, running it out of fuel on the spot.

The driver, some Middle Eastern guy in a black suit and sunglasses, came out of his vehicle and shouted at her in Arabic: "Woman! What is wrong with you? Get out of my road?"

"Excuse me? EXCUSE ME?" RJ exclaimed. She walked up to the jerk and gave him the beating of a lifetime. "You. Do. Not. Hit. A. Lady. WITH YOUR CAR! ESPECIALLY IN A PUBLIC PLACE!"

"Please! Have a mercy!" He begged. By the time she started using Tai Shing Pek Kwar to continue beating him, his buddies came out from the van only to cringe in fright at the white female who just made their associate get the concussion of a lifetime. When she was done, she glared at them.

"Please don't hit us!" They begged. One of them grabbed some ten-year-old boy in fancy Indian clothing and forced him into her arms. "Here, take the kid! But we beg you, do not hurt us! We surrender!"

"What?" She looked confused at the kid.

Right when Gilliard and Alva rushed to the scene, a fancy limousine and police cars pulled in. The officers immediately ran to handcuff the men from the van while a woman in a fancy Indian dress and a tiara came out of the limousine.

"Dev! Dev, my sweetie!" She cried.

"Mommy!" The boy hugged the woman once she took him into her own arms.

"Hey, you're Parvati Durga, the daughter of India's Prime Minister and the wife of the Crown Prince Amir of the United Arab Emirates," Alva gasped at the woman. He turned to RJ. "You accidentally saved the Sheikh's grandson!"

"Hey, everyone!" Some bystander shouted. "The white American dressed as a Turkish just saved the Sheikh's grandson!" This got everyone's attention. Soon enough, people were taking pictures while guards were protecting a middle-aged Emirati man in fancy clothing who came out of the limousine to join Ms. Durga.

"Worse case scenario I can imagine," Gilliard said. "A zombie possessed the Sheikh and he's going to kill us for public disturbance."

"Thank you for saving my grandson! You are now my honored guests!" The Sheikh bowed to RJ.

"Or... we're actually going to sleep in his vacation house rather than at the hotel," Gilliard sighed.

Back in the Global Justice refugee base

Dr. Anne Possible stepped in the empty food court near the conference room. Her original intent of going there was to get a cup of coffee after getting directions from one of the agents. She lost interest in wanting a beverage when she found Martin Fiske being the only living being sitting at a table. He was poking his spoon into a bowl of porridge, and judging by the expression on his face, she could tell he wasn't really hungry.

She sighed and walked up to him slowly. "May I?" She pointed at the seat facing him.

Martin said nothing. He kept digging aimlessly at his bowl. Dr. Possible felt worse when she saw his expression getting even more miserable. She pulled the chair back and sat down. Most of the next 120 seconds were her tapping her fingers or him letting the gooey porridge cascade out of his spoon.

"So, you and Ronilda, huh?" She said with a small, hesitant smile.

He said nothing, merely dropping his spoon and letting it drown in the porridge. He sat upstraight at the woman and glared at her with his grey eyes. "Why did a former neurosurgeon like you go through your daughter's irrational idea of the sheltering equivalence of house arrest? You knew from the start it was a bad idea. Why did you go along?"

Dr. Possible rubbed her thumbs. "I'm only the grandparent. I can only respect the wishes my children have on how they think their kids should be raised. Even if they might seem bad."
Martin crossed his arms, unwilling to accept such truth.

"Don't you think your parents would have done a similar thing? Taking a decision that would cost trust and rationality, but all of it was done to protect their child?"

Martin's expression softened a bit. He still remembered the reason he was the only Fiske to be non-affected by the Yono's curse. The Simian Witch had purposely left him home supervised while she and Monkey fist went to unearth Yono and gain the Han. He still remembered his toddler self eagerly expecting his parents to come from the front door victorious... only to see the footage of their defeat and turned into stones that sank into the earth. The next years of his childhood had been to prepare for when he shed the Yamanouchi Sensei's blood and neutralized the Yono's curse, freeing his parents.

"A bit," he said. "Does Ronilda honestly know nothing about her parents?"

The doctor nodded. "The only things I told her was that they left her to be protected... and that she was named as a female version of 'Ronald'. She complained that it sounded like a witch's name."

Martin let out a small chuckle.

"Her jumping off her bedroom window down a building that was seventy-stories tall scared me," she bit her lip. "It was only when I came home from shopping supplies that I noticed she hadn't eaten the breakfast I left for her in the fridge. When I went into her room, I found her window open... and a long cord attached to the pipe sticking out of the wall."

"Is it in the female Possible genes to be insane?" He asked.

"I don't know. She didn't show any signs of being like Kim or Ron. But since I got told that she got his Mystical Monkey Power..."

"I still can't believe I never connected the dots." Martin bothered to eat porridge. "But she's nothing like her parents..."

"So it's real?" Dr. Possible asked cautiously. "You two being together?"

"We've only actually started dating a week ago. On her birthday."

"Aw, how sweet." The woman was actually touched. "You know, I never pictured it in my head, but it's kind of sweet how you and the other villains seem to really like Ronilda... before you just found out she was my granddaughter."

"Why wouldn't they?" Martin began to sound happy. "She's smart, she's not afraid to speak up her mind, she learns thing very quickly, she shares things in common with the others... and honestly, you'll never meet someone who tries to keep you away by having you microchiped to be chased and threatens to reveal your secrets if you don't let her teach you dancing."

"What? She did that?"

"It's a long story." He rolled his eyes. "She's just exceptional."

"I see." Dr. Possible smiled. "I guess she can do anything like her mom. Well, except Kim had Wade to back her up for missions."

Martin's face lit up. "THE COMPUTER GEEK! THAT'S IT! THANK YOU, DR. POSSIBLE!" He ran out of the food court, leaving the woman baffled.

Later, back in Dubai

It was past bedtime. Gilliard and Alva were already passed out in the guest chamber the Sheikh had given them during their stay at his palace. His son the Crown Prince was tucking the sweet Dev in bed while in the private chambers that RJ received, Parvati Durga was having late night tea with her son's savior.

"I can't thank you enough for saving my son, Ms. RJ," Parvati said as she poured Persian tea from a silver kettle into a teacup that she offered to RJ. "He means the world to me and Amir."

"It was a bit of an accident, but I'm glad I could help." RJ took a sip of tea, which was incredibly well brewed. "Why was your son kidnapped anyway?"

"To get the Sheikh's attention no doubt, we still aren't sure why he was kidnapped." Parvati put her teakettle down. "My father, the Prime Minister of India, thinks that it's because Dev is the product of two powerful countries joined together. Dev is popular as my father's grandson and he's also well-known for being Amir's heir. You know, once Amir becomes Sheikh, Dev will be the Crown Prince.

"But my Emirati in-laws dare to contradict." She rolled her eyes and drank some tea. "They think Iblis wants to harm the royal blood."

"We did see some people on our way here who claimed they had visions of Iblis. At least, that's what Alva says they're doing." RJ looked at the open window that gave a lovely view to the palace's gardens and let in a soft breeze that brushed the silky curtains. "Twice today, I thought I saw a homeless crone that I met only once in England. Maybe Gilliard was right when he said I was tired from the flight."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Parvati sliced some chapatti and gave a plate with a couple of the slices to RJ, who gladly accepted. "People always think that if they see an angel or somebody with an angel's personality, then it must mean that its demon counterpart will show up. God has Iblis, and angels have djinns. You saved my son and convinced most of my family, the religious witnesses, and others that you are a servant to God. It only makes sense if you see a hallucination of some crone."

"I don't think she's evil." RJ drank tea. "Well, the first time we met, she hit me with a stick, but then she apologized and vanished. I haven't seen her ever since... until now. I still fail to understand what a homeless Jewish woman from England is doing all the way here, in Dubai."

"Perhaps she's one of those omens." Parvati shook her head and drank some tea. "Aside from the crone, what brought you to Dubai in the first place? You really don't look like you actually came here for tourism."

"Is it that obvious?" RJ took a bite of chapatti.

Parvati nodded.

RJ swallowed her bite. She put her plate of chapatti back on the table. "The real reason I came to Dubai... is that my friend and I suspect I might actually... be related to Pablo Preston, the CEO of Bueno Nacho. It might sound stupid, I know. I have no proof."

Parvati nodded. "And since he's supposed to reveal his face at the opening of the theme park weekend, you'd hope you meet him and see if he recognized you?"

"In a way." Honestly, what chances did she have? Her father hadn't seen her in 14 years. What odds could he have of recognizing his only child?

"Well, the odds might just as well be in your favor. Pablo Preston is the guest of my father-in-law until the first day of the park is done. He'll be busy for most of the day, but tomorrow night, he's required to attend a VIP gala the Sheikh is holding in honor of Preston's inauguration of the park. Since you saved my son's life..."

"Your Highness, I couldn't ask for that much." RJ shook her head.

"Please, it's I can do after what you did." The woman nodded. "And you may call me Parvati for short."

RJ nodded. Once the tea session was over, the servants came to collect the dishes.

"Do get some sleep, my friend," Parvati told RJ with a smile before the latter got ready to go to bed. "Tomorrow will be a big day for you."