Chapter 36
"Hi, Lee Ping here, 'Prank Queen extraordinaire,' according to the whole of A. Nigma High; which is where a prank I didn't pull got me a year of detention." Lee's voice narrated as she and Biff were shown running out of detention.
"Yep. Babe's troubles run deep."
"Oh, and this is Biffy, my still unofficial boyfriend."
"Sup. And no cracks about me and Lee being an odd pair; cause one mention of size and I swear I will-!"
"Biffy, the story?"
"Oh, right, sorry."
"So, you're probably wondering, 'Why all the running?'"
"And why you're with the huge, big hunk."
"Shhh. Later!" The sound of Lee clearing her throat echoed. "Anyway, it all goes back to detention with Jenny. It was the end of lunch and-"
"Oh, who cares!? It went farther than that!"
"Okie doke', Jenny was digging for clues-" Lee said and Biff was heard snickering, causing her voice to turn reprimanding. "Hey! And I was dealing with some ninja dude from the council who stole my key and Biffy was tracking him. How'd you track him anyway?"
"I keep telling ya, I know everything! Plus, I was at Kimmie's house and her mom-"
"Wait, what!?"
"Hey don't you start getting jealous again!"
Lee's tone became defensive. "Not that, I'm worried that Kimie's mom has a tracking system on all the students. Me and Kimmie are...pleasantly distant to one another at the moment."
"Oh, good. Anyway, the key's last known location was at a downtown casino called the Hydra."
"Yeah, and I'm gonna need it back." Lee narrated as she and Biff ran out the school doors toward the exit.
"Hurry up!" Biff yelled, but they were stopped by the arrival of Barrage.
"Well put on flippers and call me George T. W. Gershwin, where do you think you're going?" he demanded and both Lee and Biff exchanged anxious glances. "Well, I asked you two lovey-dovey jailbirds a question."
Lee thought of something fast. "Uh, out doing military lunges in the brisk autumn air?" she offered.
"Yee-haw Miss Ping; ain't you two regular comedy specials." Barrage said sarcastically. "Well, take it on the road maggot-lickers, and march your pathetic, little pooches to the gym! Now! For an important assembly. Move it!" he shouted as he pointed at the school. "Go, go, go, go!" he hollered and once they were seated in the gym, Barrage got onto the stage. "Listen up! There's a big ladi-da once in a lifetime solar e-clipse coming, and since your parents don't think you have enough brain cells in your tiny skulls not to look directly into the sun, and burn your retinas out, you'll be watching a film about eclipse safety!" Barraged boomed before stomping off the stage.
"Right, because school wasn't heavenly enough without a boring old Info-Film." Biff drawled out from beside Lee. As the film played on with the usual outdated phrases and corny voice acting, Lee 'pssted' at Biffy.
"Biffy, we just can't stay here and watch some stupid flick. Magic Key, evil ninja, casino?" Lee reminded her sorta-boyfriend. "We gotta-"
"Go?" Biff finished her sentence with a determined frown. "Yeah, yeah. Okay...break!" he said in a harsh whisper before ducking down to sneak away with Lee crouching down and following after him.
'What is it with men and football references?' Lee thought to herself as they made it to the door, only to find it wouldn't budge.
"What is it now?" Barrage demanded as the lights came on. "Ping! Goldstein! Sit down, now! We will not be interrupted by you two sneaking out to swap saliva in the hallway! We're trying to watch a film here!" Barrage shouted and both Lee and Biff's faces turned red as she they sat cross-legged in front of the door.
They looked at each other as the movie resumed, but while the idea was tempting to try, neither were going to puss things with it, and the rumors would certainly try and spin some outrageous tale anyway.
Lee and Biff were taken to detention and Barrage saw Jenny with her finger in her nose. "What in the name of Littlehorn-pickle is your digity-donkin doing inside your pickity squeeze honker?"
"Yeah, thanks for making it all like, into a Broadway production," Jenny said sarcastically, "I'm working on it, okay?"
"Well work on it faster Miss lippity-lip." Barrage said. "By the way, if anyone knows who planted this video do-hickey by my security keypad thing-a-ma-jigger, tell 'em to come down to my office to claim it." He said holding up a broken phone. "So that we can have ourselves a little chat." He added as he marched out of the room.
"Okay, escape, no can do, we're officially nailed," Biff said, "and man that movie went on for like, ever."
"Detention is in effect, no talking."
"Okay, the book, crazy Intel, insane." Jenny said quietly.
"Whoa, wait a minute," Biff said, "me and her still gotta talk about our priority Alpha-Strike-Team escape situation."
"No talking." The mechanized voice droned and hit Biff with a mouthful of gas.
"Yeah, well I was talking about this, look," Jenny said and lifted the book for them to see, "a library card pocket, but no card."
Biff smirked sarcastically. "Whoa, better make a call to Dewy Decimal and his crack book squad!" he added laughing, only to get hit with another mouthful of gas.
"If we find this card, we find out who checked out this book." Jenny said.
"Yeah, great, so, you like kitties?" Biff asked.
"Yeah, why? And hello, I was talking." Jenny retorted, but put her hands together when Biff pulled Mrs. Rumple out of his vest and she squealed. "Oh, she's so cute." She said and picked the cat up, snuggling her against herself.
Biff gave Lee a knowing look, who only returned it wryly. "Always works," he said and his teasing tone vanished as he pulled Lee over to the door, "okay, back to what's important, my hunch; our key thief doesn't steal a magical key to just go gamble it away. $50 bucks says he's hiding there."
"Like in the epic Kung-Fu movie, Enter the Casino?" Lee suggested as she did a karate chop in thin air.
"Actually, more like the sequel, Return to the Casino," Biff retorted and grinned at Lee appreciatively, "which, by the way, love that you know Kung-Fu movies."
Lee grinned slightly back at him as she absently reached up to twirl a lock of hair around her finger. "As I've told you, it's an adventure to learn new things about me."
Biff looked pleased as he hummed thoughtfully. "I think we might have to discuss a new mission plan later. Operation: Take Lee to the Movies to Watch With Handsome Computer Genius."
"Oh, and what will you be doing when I'm with this genius?" Lee jabbed playfully and Biff rolled his eyes.
"Burn!" Jenny cackled before getting sprayed in the face with the gas, causing both her and the cat to cough. "I suppose I deserved that."
Biffy cracked a slight smile. "Alright then." He said and looked back at Lee. "We wait detention out; you go home, fake a tummy ache, bed, and sneak out."
"Love it." Lee said approvingly. "Then all of us meet at the bus stop."
"Right, wait-what?" Biff questioned in disbelief. "All of us?"
Lee stared at him sternly. "Dude, Casino of Evil, we're gonna need back-up. As in Cam and Holger."
Biff smirked as he lifted his arm and flexed. "All the backup I need is right here. Say hello to Meltdown, and Pummel." He said with a proud smile and Lee blushed at him.
"We've met." She said coyly.
"Oh yeah, you're muscles are very large," Jenny said sarcastically, "you should be so proud."
Biff narrowed his eyes, clearly taking back whatever slack he was going to give her. "Just so we're clear, I'm not sure I like you."
"Biffy!" Lee rebuked as she put her hands on her hips. "Jenny's a friend and she's trying to help us; it doesn't matter if she doesn't like your muscles, because I do."
"And just so we're clear, I like you." Biff admitted to Lee, who smiled at him.
Jenny leaned on her elbow, chin in her hand. "Get a room." She quipped.
"We would, but you're in it." Biff retorted.
Lee stepped in before things got out of hand. "Alright, let's just sit down and relax." She said and her expression gave way to nervousness. "Also, do you think you could fix this, Biffy?"
"Fix what?" Biff asked distractedly.
Lee grimaced as she pulled her cell cover out of her pocket. "This." She said quietly as Biff gasped.
"What the heck happened?!" he exclaimed and coughed when he was sprayed in the face.
"No talking." The female voice droned.
"I swear I didn't want to, but I had to cut it open because I found something inside of it." Lee explained.
"What do you mean 'found something inside?'" Biff questioned.
"I don't know how, but the Parent's Council put a bug in it after I…" Lee's eyes shifted. "After the baby thing."
"Oh." Biff said catching Lee's downcast face.
Lee shook her head. "Anyway, it turned out the robot babies had bugs in them, and got planted in everyone's rooms." She explained.
"Whoa, I guess that's how Kimmie got all that information." Biff said contemplatively.
"So they planted a bug in the cell-cover Biffy gave you?" Jenny whispered, sounding outraged. "That's wonk!" she shouted, and ducked to avoid the gas.
Biff gave Lee a questioning look. "We haven't seen each other in detention for a while, and Jenny has no boyfriend, so she wanted to know what it was like." Lee said and Biff nodded before he clenched his fist.
"Well they're gonna pay for ruining my gift to you." He said and looked thoughtful a moment later. "Though it does give me a chance give you a new gift." He muttered.
"What was that?" Lee asked curiously.
Biff smiled at her, his expression giving away nothing. "I didn't say anything."
Lee raised a brow, but hoped her friends didn't fight later on; she really wanted her sorta-boyfriend and her friends to get along.
Lee lied in her bed, covers pulled up to her neck as her mother felt her forehead. "You don't have a fever." Sue said suspiciously.
"I think it's a stomach thing." Lee said groggily.
Sue leaned down to kiss Lee on the forehead. "Feel better; I have to go pick up your father from the airport by seven." She said as she walked out, and as Lee got up, she opened the door, causing Lee to fall back quickly. "And if you can, clean up the living room, it's a mess! It looks like a warzone down there."
"Okay mom." Lee called back weakly. "Bye." She added and sat up excitedly. "So dad's flight lands in an hour; that should give me enough time." She said and grabbed her skateboard before sneaking out of the window and skated down the sidewalk, taking out her phone as she called Tina up. "Hey Tina, I know this is gonna sound totally crazy, but our rooms have been bugged."
Tina's tone was incredulous. "Are you serious? Or is this just another conspiracy thing?"
"Trust me, it's the truth, just look around if you don't believe me, okay?" Lee questioned. "I really gotta go though, catch ya later." She said and ended the call before putting her earpiece in.
"So, where is being your disguise?" Holger questioned after he and Cam arrived at the casino.
"I'm gonna go as the guy who doesn't beat you up for calling me Scandinavian insults behind my back." Biff retorted and punched his fist in his hand. "Better hope I don't care enough to look up their translations." He added and turned his attention to Cam, his expression becoming disbelieving. "And you, really?"
"I didn't want to, but dude kept whimpering at me with his stupid like," Cam explained as his mustache dangled loose and Holger fixed it, "like puppy-dog eyes." He said and Holger looked up at Biff with sad, wide blue eyes and jutted out his lower lip. "Yeah, like that."
Biff didn't have time to retort as he heard his cell beep and answered it, knowing it could only be one person right now. "Not to sound like a girl, but your late, where you at?"
"On my way, mom got all nursey on me and-" Lee stopped abruptly as a ring echoed over the line. "Hold on, call waiting."
"No wait, babe-" Biff tried, but Lee had already put him on hold and Holger looked over at him with a grin.
"Did Missy Lee be putting you on hold?" he asked and crossed his arm before his grin faded to a frown. "Serves the Fridge Man Goldstein right for putting Lee's love-heart on hold, like cliff jumpers who get scared at last minute to grab at cliff edge's!"
"Hey, that wasn't my fault." Biff retorted. "I wasn't the one who went accusing her boyfriend of cheating on her with his best friend!"
"Dude, you got to realize that Lee is a girl," Cam said like he knew what he was talking about, "a fact which eludes me at times," he added and Biff glared at him, "anyway, you got to realize that, and girls don't often comprehend 'platonic' girlfriends. I mean, how would you feel if she suddenly got all friendly and flirty with Brad of all people?"
"That's different; I know Brad is pursuing her only for her popularity." Biff rebuked.
"And Mr. Biffy is only making teasing flirty with Kimmie, because it doesn't mean anything too?" Holger questioned.
"I…" Biff trailed off as he rubbed his forehead with his free hand in disbelief. "I can't believe I didn't see it before, I guess I was a jerk for doing that with Lee nearby." He said and sighed as his hand dropped back to his side. "Fine, I'll stop sorta teasing with Kimmie and tell her to ease up on it."
"Yay!" Holger exclaimed as he clapped his hands together eagerly. "Now Holger give you the Old Time Friends welcoming hug!" he shouted and approached Biff with arms wide open, only to get shoved to the ground by the taller teen.
"Yeah, not gonna happen." He said flatly.
"-where you at?"
"On my way, mom got all nursey on me and-" Lee said, but was cut off by the earpiece ringing once more. "Hold on, call waiting." She said as she heard Biff begin to protest as he was put on hold. "Jenny, what's up?"
"I snuck into the library and found the missing library card." Jenny said quietly. "I know who took it out; it's weird, one person over and over, someone named Niles Peg."
"Who?" Lee questioned, but heard her phone ring once more. "Hold on, another call. Go for Lee."
"Lee, you were right, I found that bug in my room, what's going on? Who put them there? What is-"
"All great questions, but Jenny's in the library and she just found out something big. I'll call you back." Lee said and pressed down on the earpiece once more. "Jenny, sorry that was Tina, I had to ditch her, she's been getting kinda clingy since she freaked about dating Chaz, and jumps into anything 'conspiracy' based. Any Intel on Niles Peg? What's his story?"
"Still me, actually," Tina said and Lee almost fell off her skateboard, "you know, Tina, the girl you had to ditch, 'cause she's too clingy."
Lee groaned into her phone. "Lee Ping, you are a dipstick. I should be served with dipping sauce."
"Seconded." Tina said shortly. "Why is Jenny in the library? And who is Niles Peg? And does this have to do with everyone being bugged? If so, I'm in! Meet you in the library."
"No, Tina wait, I meant-Oh great." Lee said sarcastically as she heard a click on the other end. "Jenny?"
"No worries. I-now you hold on." Jenny said abruptly the line went dead before she came back onto the phone. "Okay, you are so not going to believe this, but a bunch of Cleaners just showed up with a chick and they're totally looking for the book."
"Get out of there." Lee said worriedly.
"Duh, sorta trying to." Jenny retorted and the line was cut off again.
"Jenny? Jenny!" Lee shouted, but all she got was static and stopped her skateboard before talking to Biff again. "Biffy?"
"Finally, your friend is killing me."
"Change of plans, Jenny is in a 911, hold where you're at." Lee said. "Got a sitch."
"Ain't happening, we're going in. What are we looking for again?"
"Okay, keep your eye out for a guy who smells like rotten eggs, cool jacket, key should be in a red case, FYI, look out, he's dangerous." She explained and paused when there was a silence. "Hello?" she asked, but got no reply and sighed. "Be careful, guys." She whispered and turned to skate toward the school, where she found Jenny being kicked out of the school by a Cleaner.
"I like, know how to walk!" Jenny said as the Cleaner closed the gate.
"You okay?" Lee asked as she helped Jenny to her feet.
"Yeah, being thrown on my butt is a regular old day at the spa." Jenny said sarcastically.
"So the book, they get it?" Lee questioned.
Jenny smirked. "Nah, I totally hid it."
"Lee, girls!" Lee heard Tina yell as she ran up toward them. "Wait up!"
"Whoa, what's she doing here?" Jenny asked sounding irritated as she glanced at Tina. "Don't you have an anniversary or something with your boyfriend?"
"That's still not for another few days," Tina replied and frowned at Jenny, "and what am I doing here? What are you doing here?" she retorted.
"I'm here to help my new BFF." Jenny stated proudly.
"BFF?!" Tina questioned outraged. "I'm Lee's BFF."
"You?! Your dating a guy that doesn't even like her!" Jenny shot back.
"He's working on it!" Tina shouted. "And I've been in on the action since like Day 1!"
"Yeah, flirting with Chaz and practically making out with him on the news." Jenny retorted. Lee looked back and forth bewildered and unsure of how to handle this, but getting more nervous as time went on, especially when Jenny brought her into the conversation. "Lee, tell Miss News Nerd this is too dangerous for her." She said and Tina's eyes widened in anger, but Jenny abruptly turned on her heel. "Whatever, let's just go." She said turning Lee around by the arm before she slipped through the gates.
Lee shrugged and followed after Jenny with Tina following her in turn, and the other girl's voice became righteously indignant as they snuck around the school wall. "First off; my name is Tina, not news nerd, and I've been frozen in crystal, brainwashed, and chased by robot janitors; I think I can handle sneaking into school. As long as that finger of yours doesn't touch me, I think I'll be fine. Besides, school's locked."
Jenny smirked as she gestured toward the bottom of the door. "Duh, that's why I did this," she said holding her foot in the door while taking the rock out, "news nerd."
"Ladies, can we argue about who's prettiest later?" Lee asked sarcastically as she held the door open and casted a worried glance at the guard eye-bot in the watchtower.
"You know, this might be a first for me to say it," Jenny said as she glared at Tina, "but I'm not sure I like you."
Tina snorted as her temper seemed to even out. "I was going to say the same thing."
Biff, Holger and Cam were led up to the top floor of the casino after getting caught by a bouncer, and they were going to see the owner, someone the bouncer had called the 'Serpent'. When they finally reached the top floor, there was a man standing at a desk with his back to them, and a large snake wrapped around his neck.
"Oh whoa, dude, you got some rotten eggs in here?" Cam asked as the smell Lee warned them about became evident, causing him to hold his nose. "And the cologne covering it up just makes it worse." He added as the three of them walked up to the desk, and Cam tried to wave the smell away.
"Lee Ping's brat pack, welcome." The man said and the snake around his neck hissed, with Cam, Holger, and Biff gasping as they reeled back.
"Uh, and you are?" Biff questioned dubiously.
"Me? I'm talking." The man replied and held up a remote, which caused the wall behind him to slide back as he pushed a button on it and Biff's image was on the screen. "Mr. Biffy T. Goldstein, loves three things; cake, cats, and Lee Ping." He said and raised a brow with an amused smirk on his face as Biff's face reddened.
Cam seemed to have been holding back a laugh, but it still slipped through. "Ha! I knew it! Wait 'til I tell Lee-" he said, only to choke as Biff grabbed his coat collar and lifted him up.
"You say one word to her before I tell her myself and I will turn you inside out, are we clear?!" Biff growled.
Cam nodded rapidly. "Comprende!"
When they reached the library, they waited until the woman inside and the Cleaners went to search for the book, to which Jenny pointed out to them was under a book cart. "It's over there." she said as they opened the doors up slightly. "Under the desk."
"Watch my back." Lee said moving into the room, but Jenny held her back.
"Nah, you watch mine." She said sneaking into the room.
"No, wait, Jenny." Lee called after her, but kept her voice down so they wouldn't get caught.
"What was that guy's name again? And when did he go to school?" Tina questioned as she took out her phone.
"Huh? Who?" Lee asked confused as she kept a look out, but glanced over at Tina. "Niles Peg I think, why?" she asked, but quickly shut the doors when a Cleaner went by them and stood up, opening the door back up and looked both ways, relief showing on her face as she spotted Jenny with the book. "Contact." She said, but saw a Cleaner by the cart where Jenny was. "Uh-oh." She said patting her pockets down, smirking when she found a wrapped up candy bar and tossed it in the other direction. The Cleaner walked away and Jenny hurried out, with Lee and Tina hurrying after her into the hall. "Okay, that was close."
"Whateves, totally got it." Jenny said holding the book up and opened it to the back. "Check it." She said taking the book card out. "Niles Peg, the only one to ever take out it out, and he did so for three years in a row. 86, 87, 88, and again in 2009."
"Uh, okay, that's weird." Lee said narrowing her eyes.
"Not when you check the year books." Tina said. "They're online, and look, Niles Peg in 2009; look familiar?" she asked holding up the photo, causing Lee's eyes to widen.
"The sleeping teacher in detention?" Lee questioned rubbing her neck. "Okay, you've got to be kidding me." She said, but a clanking caused them to peer around the corner to see Cassandra, Barrage, and the husky man walk toward the library.
"Why are we up here? We should be down there." The man said.
"Patience, she says she has something for us." Cassandra said as they went inside the library.
The three girls walked over to the library door, and Lee leaned on Jenny's shoulder to take a look inside the room, only for Jenny to brush her hand off. "Hey!" she said quietly.
Lee winced and let her hand drop to her side sheepishly. "Sorry."
Jenny shrugged noncommittally. "Whateves, just make sure you don't do it again; I don't even wanna think of where your hand has been." She said and Lee blushed while Tina looked between them with a scrutinizing expression on her face and huffed before turning back to the window.
"How come she's suddenly your new BFF?" Tina asked jealously.
Lee blinked in surprise. "She's not; she's just the only one without a boyfriend who gets jealous that you spend time away from him."
"Hey, I so do have a boyfriend!" Jenny retorted quietly, but when both Lee and Tina looked at her, Jenny stared at the finger in her nose and popped it out with a sad sigh. "Oh, who am I kidding?"
Lee patted Jenny on shoulder comfortingly. "Easy there, Jen. If Chaz can snatch Tina, there's bound to be someone for you out there."
Tina looked flattered. "Aww. So, I'm a catch huh?"
Lee shrugged. "Well, you made it easy by flopping out into Chaz's boat and letting him hook ya." She said teasingly.
"Fishing reference, really?" Tina questioned dryly.
Lee shrugged once more. "Nothing better to do at home, grounded remember? So I watched TV with my dad until he had to go on his trip."
Tina suddenly gripped Lee by the shoulder and the redhead looked inside. "Look, they're going into the back."
Lee watched the group leave before opening the door. "Okay, you two stay here, I'm gonna-"
"What? Be a hero?" Jenny questioned sarcastically and smirked. "I've got this."
"Come on!" Tina said following after Jenny.
Lee slapped a hand to her forehead. "I've got a bad feeling about this." She said and caught up with the other two girls at the secret room.
"Principal," Cassandra said at the tunnel entrance, "I would absolutely kill for a coffee; can you get me one before we get started? Cheers."
Barrage turned and made for the exit, causing the three girls to gasp. "Uh, sir, I-uh, we can explain." Lee said nervously but Barrage cut her off.
"My orders, 67, coffee, kill for one, if necessary." Barrage said flatly.
"Uh, no need to kill," Lee said chuckling nervously, "we'll just…" she trailed off as Barrage ignored them and walked away.
"Okay, what just happened?" Tina asked confused.
"I think he's under their control." Jenny said.
"More brainwashing?" Lee asked incredulously.
"If you're half-robot, I think it's technically called being hacked." Tina corrected.
"Yo," Jenny said from the tunnel entrance, "let's debate the finer points of mind control later, come on." She said and the three of them ran into the tunnel before the door slid shut behind them.
"Jinx, don't knock it!" Biff shouted as he hoped to catch the Serpent off guard, but the man just calmly moved one of the tower pieces and smirked.
"Don't worry, I never do. You're up Mr. Goldstein." He said with an emphasis on the last syllable that started to grate on Biff's nerves. Regardless, Biff looked around the tower of blocks for a spot while the man kept talking. "So gentlemen, tell me about your friend Lee," he said and spared Biff a sly grin, "or girlfriend as it might be in the case of Mr. Goldstein." He added as Biff took a block piece out of the tower. "Though, that must be over after the way you ripped out her heart when she made accusations against you."
The man huffed in amusement, and Biff tried to keep his cool. "I wouldn't be surprised if she dumped you after the way you tugged at her feelings with your constantly hanging out with a girl reputedly better-looking, richer, cleverer, and more in touch with her feminine side; no way she'd be mistaken for a boy."
"Yeah, well, kinda busy here so I don't have time to listen to you expel useless garbage." Biff retorted as he flinched when the tower wobbled slightly.
"His mother teachers at your school, right?" The man asked. "What's she like?"
"Holger once see her fire a clog gun." Holger answered.
"Yes, with superintendent Blompkins." The Serpent replied and raised a brow. "Is Lee close to her?"
"What's your fascination with our girl Ping?" Cam asked. "Kinda, but mostly, totally creepy, yo." He said and looked over at Biff. "Uh-uh! Not that one!"
"Bravo." The Serpent said as Biff backed off from the piece. "What about Lee's father?"
"Dude, we are not-aha! This one!" Biff yelled as he found a spot, but he froze when the man continued speaking.
"Tell me, Mr. Goldstein, did you happen to know that Miss Lee likes to sleep in only a kitty-cat T-shirt?" he questioned and Biff stared at him. "Quite provocative for a girl her age, don't you think?"
"SON OF A BITCH!" Biff shouted explosively as he pounded one fist onto the table, causing the tower to collapse, but Biff was too preoccupied to notice as he reared back his other fist to smash it across the man's smug face. The real serpent however, uncoiled and squeezed Biff's wrist to stop the punch from connecting.
"I'd advise against that Mr. Goldstein," the man said as he put his fingers together to give Biff a blank stare while the teen tried to get his hand free. "Priscilla can be quite protective of me, and she is highly venomous." He said and winked at the snake, who finally released Biff's wrist and Cam and Holger both pulled him back as the man giggled nastily. "Pity, it seems you've lost the game, gentlemen."
"You're some kind of rat, you know that!?" Biff snarled at him. "If I find out you've been spying on her, no worn is gonna stop me from tearing you limb from limb!"
"Indeed," the man said and looked thoughtful, "guess you might just love her after all, but it is my choice now, so what will I choose? You can't protect your mate if you're not around anymore."
While Holger and Cam cringed at the implied threat, Biff just glowered at him, still too angry to think straight right now.
They made their way down the steps and followed after the group, only to find their path blocked by the blue force field. "What are they doing in there?"
"We need to get closer, is there any way to turn these off?" Tina questioned as she reached out, but Lee's tone became warning.
"Hold on, Tina, don't do that." She said and put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "I know another way in, now where was it?" she thought back to throwing the severed Cleaner arm into a crevice and smirked triumphantly when she found it, only to hear Barrage coming down the tunnel. "Hide." She said and they ducked into a tunnel just as Barrage came up to the force field and a Cleaner on the other side raised their arm and the field lowered long enough for Barrage to go through.
Lee held the severed arm up to the force field once it was back up and it lowered to let them hide behind a pile of crates as Barrage handed Cassandra her coffee.
"Ah, my coffee, now make yourself useful and exterminate these pests." She said and Barrage raised a mini crystallizer out of his wrist and went to do as ordered. Cassandra looked at the two other council members, her expression becoming annoyed. "Now, are we ready to do this?"
"What in there?" Lee questioned quietly as the husky man reached for the briefcase, only for her jaw to slacken in disbelief. "They have both keys? Quick, anything in the book about what happens when that thing opens?" she asked Jenny.
The girl opened the book to a pyramid with an eye. "Either the world ends, or heat ray vision, not sure which."
The woman in black reached for the keys the man was holding. "Wait, this is a chance to be a part of history, give me the keys." She said and they both tugged on them.
"No, this is my moment." The man said petulantly. "Let go!"
"You let go!" The woman shouted back.
Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Children." She muttered. "One of you just do it!"
The woman stomped on the man's foot and placed both keys into the pyramid. "I did it." She said as the pyramid seemed to be starting up and an eye appeared at the top of the pyramid, only for her to get zapped and the keys to pop back out.
"Oh no." Lee said quietly.
"Is she…?" Tina trailed off just as softly.
The man knelt down next to the woman for a pulse. "She's alive."
"Hallelujah." Cassandra said flatly. "I'm guessing this means you haven't figured out how to open it?"
"But all my research points to just needing the two keys." The man replied.
"Well all my research points to you not delivering." Cassandra retorted. "Now pick up those keys and open it!"
The man looked nervous. "No, we should hold off; besides, this woman needs a doctor."
"Now you suddenly care her?" Cassandra questioned and turned away. "Fetch my car."
Tina looked disbelieving. "Okay, that did not just happen."
The man shook the woman on the shoulder. "Why won't she wake up?"
"Just like the teacher in detention." Jenny pointed out as the council members all left on their hovercraft.
Lee gritted her teeth. "He's gonna get away with my key." She said, but realized it wasn't worth getting caught and ran back to the force field. "Okay, shows over, let's go."
"Dude, where have you been? I got super bad news!" Biff said on the computer that night.
"Yeah, I already know." Lee said and her mother opened the door.
"Lee, you're up? And looking better." Sue said suspiciously.
Lee leaned casually on her chair, trying to hide the view of Biff on her computer. "Oh, yeah, much better." She said sheepishly. "Where's dad?"
"He missed his flight." Sue said rolling her eyes. "Huh! He forgets everything when I'm not around, and since you feel better, you're on living room clean up." She said pulling a broom out from behind the door.
"But right in the middle of-" Lee tried to shield the screen with her hands, but Sue walked over and moved them away.
"Hehe, what's up Mrs. Ping?" Biff asked nervously as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Lee, I thought you were broken up with this young man?" Sue questioned calmly, turning to frown at Lee.
"We were." Lee answered sheepishly. "See, the reason we were broken up is…I kinda made some accusations against Biffy, some paranoid and unjust ones." She admitted, shame-faced.
"So you didn't break up with him?" Sue asked, her eyes widening in shock. "He broke up with you?" she added, whirling back toward the screen, a scowl on her face and Biff fell out of his chair from the look. "So my daughter isn't good enough for you, mister?!"
"Mom, it was my fault." Lee protested as she tried to keep her mother from destroying her computer. She looked angry enough to do it too. "I said some stupid stuff and hurt Biffy's feeling, so he dumped me, but I deserved it."
"I'm not a fool, Lee." Sue said as she gently cupped Lee's face with her hand. "I know you've been depressed for the last little while, but I never thought it was because of him." she said jerking her head in the computer's direction.
"Well, the fact of the matter is: we've been going slow now." Lee admitted.
"Slow?" Sue questioned confused. "Slow for what?"
"Slow, as in an attempt to make up, Mrs. Ping." Biff said as he sat back in his chair. "I realized…I realized I couldn't stand being away from Lee, and that maybe my 'emotion' distance caused her to worry and be suspicious. But, I'm willing to give this a second chance with her."
"I see." Sue drawled slowly. "So all those times I caught you up late texting and chatting on your computer weren't due to your friends?" she asked Lee.
"That was me, trying to rebuild what Biffy and I had." Lee admitted as she rubbed her arm nervously. "The truth is, we never even started building, and all that talking was getting to know each other better, getting to really know each oher.
"And I learned…that I couldn't bare being apart from Lee, Mrs. Ping." Biff said seriously and Lee flushed, but still cast a nervous look toward her mother.
"Mom, I know how you feel, and I guess how dad would feel, but-" Lee tried to say, but Sue held up her hand.
"Do you really want to be with this boy? Is there no one else?" Sue asked seriously.
"Honestly?" Lee questioned as she glanced at Biff and smiled. "Yes. I've been going out of my mind being apart from him when we broke up. Haven't you ever felt that way with a guy?"
Sue stared at Lee for a moment, her expression blank before it softened into a nostalgic expression. "Yes, your father." She said and Lee blinked in surprise, which Sue caught. "Don't look so surprised! Your father and I might argue on occasion, but I love him and he loves me, and his being away is hard on me too. So I'm assuming it's the same way with Mr. Goldstein?"
"What is with people referring to me by my last name?" Biff grumbled.
Lee couldn't question him about that strange comment right now. "I'm not asking you to like that I like Biffy, mom, but can you accept and allowit again?" she pleaded, and noticed the way Biff's eyes widened, which she'd have to explain about later that her mother already gave her previous grudging acceptance.
Sue looked like she was going to say no, but she let out a great sigh as she seemed to overcome her fickleness again for Lee's choice of love. "Oh, alright! You may see this boy again."
"Really?!" Lee shouted and leapt forward to hug her mother, who smiled and patted her daughter on the back, before she looked at her seriously once again.
"But you are still grounded, and I want this boy to meet your father and we will be meeting his parents." Sue said and Lee cringed, and looked ready to say something when Sue continued. "I've spoken. After that, you may see him at school as much as you want, and chat with him at home, but only after you've finished your homework of course."
"And…?" Lee asked, putting her hands together excitedly.
"And…what?" Sue asked confused, but Lee rolled her eyes.
"After my grounding is over, can I start going with him to the movies and such, you know, on a real date?" Lee questioned.
Sue looked a little sour over the mention of the D word, and held up her hand to stop Lee from saying anymore. "Hold your horses, missy. First, proper introductions with to your father and this boy's parents, then finishing your grounding, and then we can discuss your dating procedures."
Lee looked a little deflated that her being only allowed to date at twenty-one wasn't taken away, but she could work with this. "I guess that's fair." She said and smiled over at Biff again, who was smiling back at her.
"Good, now say goodbye to your…boyfriend," Sue said the word like it was painful, "and come downstairs to clean the living room, it's a mess! And Biffy?"
Biff straightened in his seat. "Yes, Mrs. Ping?"
"Lee will see you tomorrow and be sure to arrange a meeting with your parents after my husband gets back." Sue said.
Biff nodded. "Right, I'll go do that."
Sue nodded and handed Lee the broom before walking over to the door, allowing Lee just enough time to blow Biff a kiss goodbye before she followed her mother out of her room, a new bounce in her step after all the crazy stuff that had been going on.
Things seemed to be getting back on track.