Time for chapter thirty-seven! Anyway, enjoy!
"You know, this is insane, right?" Helga asked as she packed her costume.
"Well, it may be insane, but I have to confront Bramble myself..." Monkeyman sighed as he packed his costume in his backpack.
Arnold raised an eyebrow as he noticed that Arnold was handed the backpack. "Why are you-"
"Arnold, I know I said I would confront him myself, but I don't want to reveal my identity at the same time." Kevin sighed. "If what you say is true about that mirror, he might use it to know my secret identity."
"Actually, wouldn't he figure it out anyway?" Helga asked. "I mean, you're not EXACTLY being discreet..."
"Nevertheless, I need you guys to stay behind when I confront Bramble." Kevin gulped. "I don't want him to realize I have a reason. If worse comes to worse, get me the suit!"
"This is not a good idea." Arnold frowned.
"Arnold, Helga, sometimes, you need to understand that even the man behind the suit needs to step out of the suit and mature." Kevin sighed. "I'm going to confront him myself, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
"Monk-" Arnold started before Helga put her hand on his shoulder.
"Let him be, Arnold-o. He needs to stand up to him himself... without the suit... we don't want the trump card revealed too early." Helga said.
Arnold paused as he nodded. "All right, but if push comes to shove, get out of there and change into Monkeyman as soon as possible!"
Helga nodded as Kevin got up. "All right. Anyway, I think I'm ready to go. Hold the fort down, Uncle Grimly."
Grimly gave a salute as the three managed to get out of Monkeyman's family apartment building. Helga paused as she wondered how Olga was doing. She hoped that at least Melissa and Jackie could convince her to take a re-test to prove her pregnancy is...
Negative.
Olga couldn't believe what she saw in the pregnancy test she took. Actually, multiple tests she took, some of them a different brand. She couldn't have felt more happier, more relieved... she wasn't pregnant after all! She felt so elated, so full of joy!
And yet, the hard-crushing reality had started to seep on her. Why would Owen Bramble lie to her? Did she really have sex with him? She thought back to that morning when she first woke up in Bramble's bed... she knew she was sleeping naked, with a splash of blood, but... she hadn't felt any weirdness or crookedness walking, because from what Miriam told her when her mother was pregnant with her two children, she walked a bit strangely, and was always sick... throwing up a lot.
And yet, she didn't feel any of those symptoms. Even from the book she read about being pregnant, she had not shown any of the signs. At first she thought that those signs were going to come around later, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that maybe, just maybe, things were not as they seem.
And the negative tests right there confirmed it. So what happened that morning? For that matter, what happened last night? She remembered being in Bramble's house and had one drink... and then she woke up the next morning, virginity taken and Owen Bramble trying to massage his left shoulder... she paused.
She remembered Bramble running in when she saw the 'positive' sign on the pregnancy tests in Bramble's bathroom. She may have been upset at the time, but her observant skills still noted the signs of a bandage that was present on Bramble's left shoulder... she couldn't help but wonder... if she felt fine, that meant Bramble never took her virginity... so the blood near her must have been his own blood... from his left shoulder! Her eyes widened as she looked at the tests.
The evidence is right there, and even Olga was having trouble trying to comprehend it. Why would Bramble trick her into thinking she was pregnant, trick her into marrying him...
She frowned. She couldn't hate Owen, but at the same time, she didn't appreciate being tricked... that was when the sudden thought hit her. If she's not pregnant with Bramble's baby, then that meant... she may NOT have lost her virginity. And if she didn't lose it... then maybe... just maybe...
A lovesick smile appeared on her face as she thought about Monkeyman once again. All she would have to do is break off the engagement with Bramble... show him the negative tests... he'll understand, of course! Then they can go their separate ways.
Quickly, she collected most of the pregnancy tests and stuffed them in a bag as she started to rush downstairs and reach for the doorknob.
"H-Hey, Olga!"
Olga stopped short as she turned to see Miriam on the couch, happily holding a now empty wine glass. "Where are you going at this hour?"
"I just... need to make a stop at Owen's, mummy." Olga said. "I'll be back soon..."
Miriam could only laugh. "Couldn't wait to be broken in, huh? It's okay, Olga! There's no shame in having an early honeymoon, even before you're- hic- married!"
Miriam's face then fell down on the pillow on the couch, asleep. Olga could only give an annoyed sigh. She loved her mother, but right now, she felt that the advice she gave her when drunk... was not good advice at all.
Without another word, Olga opened up the door and ran into her car before driving off. Little did she know was that another car was following her not too far away... and this car happened to belong to Melissa and Jackie.
"Keep on her!" Jackie said. "We'll need to see what she does."
"What do you think is in the bag?" Melissa asked.
Jackie sighed. "No idea... but hopefully she's not going where we think she's going... otherwise... it could spell trouble."
Inside the Bramble household, Bramble was happily humming as he made his bed. He realized that Olga wasn't coming until tomorrow, but it couldn't hurt to be prepared, just in case. He snickered as thoughts of Olga and him doing the forbidden dance on his bed floated around in his mind. The first of many heirs would soon be conceived... and just as such, the world would be heading to a new direction. He smiled in glee as the song "I Want It Now" from Willy Wonka was playing in his head, his feet shuffling every few seconds.
Indeed, Bramble was very busy until he heard a knock on the door. He blinked. Visitors? He never usually gets visitors in the Bramble household unless it's just salesmen.
"Who is it?" Bramble called.
"Hello, sir, it's me, Kevin." Kevin's voice was heard.
"Who?" Owen Bramble raised an eyebrow.
"Kevin! You know, your student at school, your photographer for Monkeyman." Kevin called.
Bramble snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered that boy... before frowning. "Uh, yes, what do you want? If it's pictures of Monkeyman you have, I'm afraid I can't accept them right now..."
"Nothing like that, sir." Kevin said. "I actually want to have a worker to employer talk with you..."
Bramble sighed as he looked at his watch. "Well... I suppose I can spare a few minutes."
Outside the Bramble household, Kevin was standing in front of the door, taking a deep breath. Thanks to Arnold and Helga leading him here, he knew he needed the confidence to face-down the man that was ruining his life. Even if Bramble didn't know HE was Monkeyman himself, maybe he didn't need to. He just hoped that from what Arnold and Helga told him, those magic words could expose him... but he knew he needed to save those as a last resort. He waited until Bramble opened the door, with a smile.
"Ah, Kevin, nice to see you drop by. Would you like to come in, my friend?" Bramble smiled, showing Kevin inside.
Kevin could only nod. "I only need a few minutes of your time, just wanted to ask a few questions..."
"Of course, of course, step right this way." Owen Bramble said, taking Kevin inside and shutting the door. As soon as the door was shut, Arnold and Helga rolled out of the bushes as they started to crawl straight over to the side windows.
"Let's just hope this works..." Helga whispered.
Arnold nodded as he looked around all the windows, soon peering to the one Monkeyman and Bramble were visible in, both of them sitting next to each other on the kitchen table.
And thus ends chapter thirty-seven! How did you guys like it? Anyway, read, review, criticize and suggest, folks!
