Chapter 17 – Trust


"Since we have to wait for Betty to get here, tell me something about yourself Shego. How did you end up doing err…. What you used to do."

"You mean working for Drakken?" she shrugs "I had just finished a job and he contacted me. I already had a reputation in the crime world. He offered me a good contract and very little do." She seems bored.

"No, I meant how did you end up working for the bad guys. I mean, you were an hero in a family of heroes. What made you switch sides?" it doesn't look like she enjoys this topic. Her answer is cold and in an even tone.

"I got bored, and the relationship in my family weren't all that good despite appearances. One day a job went too far and a bad guy escaped after killing a person. A girl. Things went from bad to worse between us and I ended taking up the blame for our failure. I left home, travelled around a bit. I did odd jobs by myself. Security, bodyguard. The illegal stuff came later. I didn't switch in one fell swoop. Little by little the line of what I wouldn't do drifted a little farther, and before I knew it I started stealing. From there things are quite obvious, aren't they?" She take the chance to change her bandages.

"Well, that was one vague story if I ever heard one." Her looks is still cold "Fine! You don't want to talk about it. I won't press the matter. Change of topic. How exactly did you end up hiding here?" This time answering doesn't seem to bother her.

"I told you. When I left Bueno Nacho I took some money from one of my accounts and contacted a friend. The guy that can make you disappear for a while no question asked. The kind of person that takes customers confidentially at heart. At least I thought so. From where he hid me I couldn't get in touch with the world so I didn't know that the government put a bounty on me, and a big one at that. Seven zeroes. Enough to drop his usual professionalism and sell me out. I found the idiot in my room with other six persons armed to the teeth, ready to cash the bounty. I'm good but not even I can't get away from a closed room with lot of guns pointed at me."

"How did you get away?"

"Easy, they were all men. Males. And like the idiots they were they wanted the full package." She runs her hand on her body to make her point. "The bounty wasn't enough for them. They wanted a piece of me. Something to boast around. To have tasted the mighty Shego. Morons. They lowered their guards enough for me to act. I took down a couple of them, shielded myself with another. That's the point where I underestimated them. They didn't mind putting some holes in one of their own, less to share I guess. Bright side, my newest human shield was the idiot who ratted me out. A few bullets hit me. Special stuff made just for me. Uranium powered bullets. Nasty stuff. My plasma-enhanced healing factor overrides the radiations but it still takes more time to heal than a common wound on a normal person. I had to flee like I was. With only my panties on me and bleeding all around. Losing them wasn't easy but eventually they run out of ammos, while my plasma fire was still burning. They made the best choice by not following me. I was wounded, but a cornered animal is very dangerous. Plus they lost the upper hand when I managed to leave the place. They might have thought that their life was worth more than the money. Smart choice. Probably the smartest they ever made since coming to this world." Suddenly I feel very happy to have kept away from that scenario. Getting laid with Shego might have had some serious consequences for my health. She has finally finished to change the bandages and she's about to get up when…

"Freeze." The stone cold voice of Betty comes from behind her. Holy shit! When did she get there? Her gun is pointed to Shego s' head. At that range the likelihood of her missing are none. "Just breath the wrong way, Shego and I'm going to splat your brain all over." Scaaary.

"Betty." She doesn't move her eye from her target. "Betty, calm down. She is not hostile. Put your gun away." Still no answer. The two woman are staring at each other. Shego turned her head just enough to look at her sideways, trying not to provoke her into pulling the trigger. Common bullets or Uranium bullets, an extra hole in the head is not a good thing. There is a intense second of tension before Betty steps back. She put a safe distance between her and Shego before turning her eye at me. Her gun is still pointing at her though.

"Ron. What is the meaning of this? Did she hurt you? I've checked the place and she's the only one around here. I thought she threatened you into calling me here. What's going on?" Sigh. Not the best way to start this conversation.

"Betty. Relax. Trust me. If I was under constriction I would have used one of the code words we discussed. Calm down. This is a discussion between civilized persons. Put away that gun." She doesn't listen but at least she lowers it. Keeping ready to act she walks around the couch and besides me without removing her stare from Shego.

"Yeah. I noticed that you didn't use any code. That's the reason why I came alone as you asked, instead of calling the whole armada. Can't blame me for playing it safe though. So, what's the deal?"

"The deal, Betty, is the reason why you are here. Put away that gun, now. It's not the kind of tool that we need to have this conversation." A side glance to me before looking back to Shego. Finally she sighs and put the safety back on before slipping the gun back its holster.

"This has better be good, Ron. You are playing a risky game trusting her like this." She has a point, but I have mine. I had the time to think about it in the fifteen minutes it took her to get here.

"Actually, I'm risking very little. I'm her only hope to get away from the mess she put herself into so there is no risk coming from her." She shakes her head.

"I get that Ron. I wasn't talking about her. I told you already that our enemies would jump at any chance to drag our name in the dirt. Associating with her could…"

"Boost up GJ popularity in the high circles. Let us take a chance Betty. You are looking at a gold mine of information on the traffic of the underworld." I point at Shego while telling her so. Her reaction is not pleasant.

"What? Are you asking me to blab out all I know about the 'dark network'? Are you insane? If I do that my reputation would be…"

"Completely ruined, I know. But what better options do you have? You are standing in a very bad place now, Shego. Anyone would take the chance at the bounty on your head. Both the good and the bad guys. Your best chance is to work with us. Come back to the Light Side, young Padawan. Oh come on, don't look at me like that. You've got to have seen that movie too."

"He's actually right Shego. By turning yourself in you have a chance to live. You might have to spend the next twenty years in jail…" I cut her there before even Shego has a chance to protest.

"That won't do, Betty. I need Shego out and I need her clean. That's the deal I have with her." They both look at me wide eyed. For different reasons though.

"What? Why and how could we do that? Ron, in the position she's in we can't pull this kind of stunt. She has too much history, and her association with Drakken puts her on the bad side of the public opinion." I grin at her.

"Well, what if she was never a criminal in the first place?" they both look at me like I have a second head.

"What do you mean?" time to get devious.

"Well, let us pretend that a young hero suddenly goes rogue and joins the underworld. Of course through the years she commits a lot of crimes. Theft, kidnaps, robberies. A lot of stuff but minor stuff. This goes on for years but then, all of a sudden, all the people she works for starts to end up into jail. Major plots are foiled seemingly effortlessly. The girl ends up in jail, over and over. And every time she breaks out. Guilty but free to return to her life of crime. Who would suspect such a person, such a lowly scum…" If a stare could kill my head would be on fire from Shego burning look. "… could actually be an undercover agent working for GJ?" a moment of silence and then

"WHAT? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND? Who would actually believe it?" Shego doesn't seem pleased by my idea. Betty on the other hand is tapping her chin.

"Hmm… It's definitely risky. But the opportunities…. Yes… Probably she could still be charged with some minor stuff but the upsides…" Shego turns her head to Betty so fast the I can hear her neck snap.

"Eh? Did you both hit your head? There is no way that could actually work. And why would you expose yourself for me like that? The info you can get from me you can gather them through other means. It won't be as easy, but to risk your public face for…" It's Betty turn to answer her.

"No. Actually we could gain a lot from it. Not only info, but reputation as well. Nice. Good idea, Ron. This might actually boost our plan." Shego doesn't follow. I keep grinning.

"Would you mind sharing with me? You lost me." I'm happy to oblige.

"See. It like this Shego. If we can make the people believe that you have been working for us the whole time we can free GJ from the common idea of incompetence they usually associate with it. Sure, the public will still keep asking themselves why a teenager had to do the job of an agency that should keep the criminals in line, but we can easily blame it on the legislation that is actually behind the slow reaction time. We can have the triple effect of keeping you out of jail, cleaning GJ name and gain a few steps forward in the project for a new law that might allow security agencies to actually do their jobs." She seem to ponder this idea.

"It's not going to work. There is too much hate out there. The public wants my blood for my part in the Diablos Invasion. There is no way for you to keep me away from it. I was too involved." I look at Betty and she looks at me. We both grin widely. It's Betty turn to explain.

"Actually we can. And we owe it to Drakken." Shego has the kind of expression she could have if I hit her with a blunt weapon on the head. "We have been watching the footage from the security cameras in Bueno Nacho HQ. Do you remember the conversation you had with Drakken about the lack of a plan in the seemingly unconnected things he was working on?" Realization finally hits her. I take the conversation from here.

"Yes, you do remember. He actually said that he didn't want to tell you because if you couldn't figure it out, then Kim wouldn't be able to do it as well. With that kind of stuff, do you still think it would be hard to convince the public that Drakken himself had doubts on your loyalties? There is enough involuntary innuendo there to play the card of the double agent. Plus it clearly states that you weren't aware of what was his plan, therefore cleaning your name both for the jury and the masses." If Shego jaw wasn't hinged to her head I would have to pick it from the ground. Slowly her expression drifts from surprised to happy.

"It could work. It could actually work! But… but what do you want from me? Information sure isn't enough for this. Regardless of what you might want to make people believe, I really am a criminal. You are the good guys. You are supposed to send people like me to jail, not keep me out of it. What do you want?" If my grin could get any wider I would have lost my jaw somewhere along the way.

"I want you." Both the women are staring at me oddly. "Not like that." I rub the bridge of my nose. Too much thinking for one single day. "Shego, you are too compromised to work for GJ directly. As a double agent you couldn't be trusted, but as an independent trouble-contractor…"

"My reputation would still suck. There is no way you could convince any agency to make me work for them." Honestly, I need to buy more teeth for a wider grin.

"But I have enough for the both of us. By acting as your watcher I can keep you out of jail and in the game. Your skills wouldn't be wasted and you would be actively working to repay your debt to society. It's a win-win situation."

"You are still a minor." I shrug.

"Only for the next two weeks. By then we can have all the papers arranged properly. Just say that you are in and we can start working on it." She doesn't answer for a moment.

"How? How can you simply trust me like that? Do you know who I am? I could stab you in the back. Anytime."

"That's something I'd like to know as well, Ron. You definitely went out of your way to help her. Why?"

"Sigh. I know exactly who you are Shego. You are a short-tempered, very violent, psycho-bitch." I was ready for a plasma blast, but it doesn't come. "But you are also a person of your word. In all the times we fought you, you hurt us, tricked us, played us into doing your game, but never, ever, outright lied to us. I don't know if you ever realized it yourself, Shego. I don't even know if you do it by some kind of personal sense of honor or a professional behavior. I don't know, I don't even care. It's simply there, and it's enough of a reason for me to trust you. And besides, the circle of trust has to begin somewhere. Isn't that right Betty?" My remark on our first conversation in the hospital is the jab I need to make her capitulate to my idea. She sigh.

"I guess you are right. I'm in. Shego?" she looks at the both of us with the expression of someone who just walked in her favorite restaurant and found a laundry instead. A mix of 'where exactly am I?' and 'Am I still sleeping?' But it's just a moment.

"Right. I'm probably walking in the worst agreement ever, but hell, what other options do I have? I'm in." despite her apparent distaste in this she is genuinely happy. Thing must finally look brighter for her after a long time. We shake hands. Betty has somethingto sat about this sitch.

"That's good but we are far from over. I have a lot of paper to run if we want to make this work. We are skating on a very thin ice here. Ron, please avoid such things without consulting me first. Shego, I need you to hide here until I have that bounty removed from your head. I don't need to tell you this, but if you try anything funny your current situation will look pleasant compared on what I will unleash on you. Got it?" Her answer is a dismissing wave of her hand. Her 'better that thou' attitude is back in full force. A clear sign of her improved mood. "On another note, Shego, why are you dressed like that. I have the suspect that you sneaked your way into Ron good side with that look. Did something happen between the two of you that I should know? I can't help but think that your outfit is the reason behind his willingness to help you." I blush violently at that. Shego on the other hand bursts out laughing.

"Ah! I can't deny that I tried that. And I've almost got him too. This little runt had the guts to turm me down. I'm almost tempted to smack him for that insult. No one turns me down. Ever. You should have seen his face, though. It was priceless." Betty raise an eybrow when she hears that.

"Really? Very impressive, Ron. I would have never believed that a guy would turn down such an offer." she's trying hard to keep her laughter.

"Fine! Make fun of the troubled, hormonal teenager, will you? Your stunt back there is going to haunt my dreams for the next two weeks. Three if you keep dressing like that." The two women won't even try to keep some sort of pretence now. They fall on their knees in a giggling crisis. Ah. Why do I even bother?

"I- I'm going to tease you mercilessly about this you know it, right? You won't even be able to look in my general direction when I'm finished with you." I can feel my eye twitch.

"Oh? Is that a challenge? You're on. Do your worst. The Ron-Man can take you anytime." Betty has finally regained control and is back on her feet.

"Whatever. Ron I really am impressed. You have dealt with an unexpected and potentially dangerous situation with a cool head and came out with a course of action that actually helps us. A little rushed in agreeing to help Shego but I can see your points. You have a good instinct about people, trust it. I'll do the same. I have the feeling that the two of us can make a great difference in the coming days. Stay sharp."

I'm about to thank her for the appreciation when suddenly my visual goes compeltely pink. The soft, smooth sensation is too familiar to take more than half a second to realize. My face is being hugged by the most loyal rodent that has ever walked this earth.

"RUFUS!" I take my best friend of a lifetime with my hand away from my face.

"Hhhk. Ron!" The little guy is crying his heart out. The poor thing.

"Rufus, buddy. I've missed you. Boy. I'm sorry about the being dead thing. A lot of things came up and..." W-wait a second. Why is Rufus here? Last thing I knew I left him with...

"R-R-R-Ron?" Oh no.

"Tara?" Oh boy. Baaad timing to get here. Bad timing indeed.


Author Note:

And Monday it is. Just like promised the new chapter is here. It's currently 13.00 (1:00 pm) here in Italy as I'm uploading this one up. I could probably have uploaded it sooner cause I finished working earlier yesterday night and worked on it till late (2.00 am).

So what do you think about it? I like the way I made the deal work. I actually think it makes really sense the plan that Ron came up with. Tell me if you think the same or not.

Tara stumbled into an heavy situation despite the light atmosphere. Now that one more person knows about the deal, where will this lead? Slowly Ron gets back among the living. How will this double confrontation go? Keep reading to find out.

Writing this story is becoming more fun by the minute, and it takes me less time to write compared to the beginning. How is my writing skill going? I'm really trying to improve here and I'd like to know if you see some difference from when I started, both in grammar and in style. Let me know if you don't mind.

See ya.