AN: YET another amazing thanks to bcbdrums for editing!
Racing Around the Christmas Track
The emergency lights lit the warehouse, displaying the downed trees and broken sleigh. Shego could see one of the reindeer was missing his antler and the sleigh was cracked. The tree that had once blocked them beneath the stairwell was now shoved aside. Possible and Stoppable stood in the middle of all of them. Shego looked towards Drakken who was still rubbing his knee from where it had collided with the hard floor as he fell on her. She made eye contact and looked towards the exit, trying to signal a getaway.
"Seriously Red," glared Ed, "you can't be showing up to a villain's domain for no reason, seriously."
"When a bunch of villains all travel to one destination where there isn't a convention—" Possible was cut off.
"The next one's in March," said Stoppable.
"Yeah... It's a big red flag," finished Possible. "Clearly we interrupted a holiday party and not some sort of evil meeting."
There was a brief pause of silence among all the villains.
"...This IS an evil meeting," said Dementor confidently. "Ack! Junge frauen, Possible. You caught us."
"Oh no," said Adrena dramatically. She was fighting giggles. "The jig is up."
"Pft, yeah. This is an evil meeting, and seriously. You're not invited," said Ed. He crossed his arms.
Possible and Stoppable shared a confused look. Monkey Fist tossed his arm around Stoppable.
"Yes! A villains-only meeting. My arch nemesis is not supposed to be here," grinned Monkey Fist as he stumbled.
Duff yanked Monkey Fist from Stoppable.
"Really, because someone smells like a party," frowned Stoppable. He raised a brow. "Why are you all dressed up."
"Because villain meetings are formal," scoffed Camille. There were nods. "Can't show up in street wear. Yuck."
"Uh huh, right," said Possible. She looked towards she and Drakken. "Christmas trees?"
"Clearly, it's our grand scheme... Operation Grinch," stated Drakken. Shego caved.
"Don't tell her!" snapped Shego.
"Right, I'm, so sure," sighed Possible. "Sorry to interrupt the party—"
"Evil planning," corrected Cleopatra.
"Yeah...that," said Possible with an eye-roll. "Our mistake."
"You guys should really turn off your cellphones if you're trying to mass-plan evil," said Stoppable.
"Ron," said Possible sharply.
"Oh yeah...no villain tips," said Stoppable. He frowned. "I really thought this was a party... Dr. Drakken, are we having one this year?"
Shego suddenly wished she'd ran for the door and dragged Drakken with her. She took a half-step away from Drakken and instinctively covered her face as their peers turned to look at them. She caught sight of Motor Ed's confused look before his eyes shot open and he took a few steps behind Lucre. She could see the slightly annoyed look on Possible's face that was replaced by mild amusement.
"I'm sorry...this year?" asked Camille. "Like, as in there have been ones in the past?"
"We have never had a party together," she heard Drakken nervously laugh. "That would be...inappropriate."
"There have been two Christmas parties and one Thanksgiving," said Stoppable defiantly.
"Fine, there was ONE Christmas party and the other two you crashed," argued Drakken.
"Seriously, Cuz?" Shego saw Ed's brow rise. Everyone made various comments.
"Eddie. You were at two of them," hissed Drakken. "Neighn! There is no party...there will never be a party. Villains don't have parties."
"They crashed another family event?" asked Cleopatra. Ed cringed.
"Okay, before this crazy sitch escalates," said Kim, "just to be clear...this is a villain meeting...for a Christmas plot?"
Everyone responded at once.
"Yes."
"Yeah."
"Seriously."
Those were just a few of the responses Shego heard as she nudged Drakken. Everyone at least for the moment seemed to be amping up the lie that this was not, in fact, a holiday party. Drakken's narrowed eyes turned to hers and his face un-scrunched as they made eye contact. Shego nodded towards the door indicating making a run for it. Shego saw Drakken look back at the others. His hands folded behind his back and he took a casual step backwards. Shego followed his lead and moved at an equal pace.
If Possible thought it was in fact a villains meeting, there would be police there soon enough. Where some trees still stood it was dark enough that they could slip away and have a clear shot to the exit before anyone noticed. In theory it would have been great. It would have worked perfectly if at any point in the argument where the casual but condemning comments had been made by Possible and Stoppable...things had taken a drastic change. But of course, they didn't.
"Hey! I thought we had a deal," Stoppable turned to look at them. "You agreed no Christmas capers. It was a promise."
"Who the hell makes promises to their arch nemesis," snickered Monkey Fist, "apart from revenge."
"Exactly," responded Drakken. Shego could feel the wrong words coming. "Unless you lie to distract from your true plans."
"You promised on Snow-Man Hank," hissed Stoppable.
Possible rolled her eyes. It was clear she wasn't buying the party lie.
"News flash, it's called lies and deceit. Rule number seven in the villain's handbook," smirked Drakken.
"Five," corrected Shego. She cringed at her own response.
"I thought it was six?" asked Dementor. "Right before double-crossing and the sub-rules."
"Hmm, aye... Shego is right. It's five," said Duff. He stopped Monkey Fist from climbing onto a still-smoking tree.
"Wait. Wait," said Lucre. "There's a handbook. Dr. Drakken, you never told me there was a handbook."
"Oh yeah," said Stoppable. "You want my copy?"
"How does the side-kick have a copy?" asked Camille in a low whisper.
"Drakken," said Stoppable. Possible seemed to be enjoying the turn of events, "I got it from his lab."
"Seriously. Parties. Promises. Gifts," Ed snorted, "Seriously? What's next, are you going to say my cuz here helped you find the TERA on Thanksgiving?"
"No—" Possible began.
"You know about that?" said Stoppable. "I mean honestly. I was shocked by that myself."
Shego felt the shift in the room as Ed glared at Drakken.
"What's TERA?" whispered Camille to Pandora. She shrugged.
Cleopatra's hand covered her mouth and her eyes went wide. Carmella whispered to her.
"Did... Did you...seriously... Help them find it?" asked Ed.
Shego kept her face neutral and tried to think of a lie. Drakken's face was also neutral which made her wonder if he too was thinking of a lie to tell. She waited a beat and she wondered if there was a good enough lie to cover this. It could have been a trap? They could have figured it out? There were a thousand different ways to not make this turn ugly.
"Yes," sighed Drakken.
Shego's mind stopped racing and she fought the internal rage and annoyance at Drakken's answer.
We should have just run! You can claim ignorance. You didn't even know...it's not really a lie.
There were a series of mutters and smirks.
I can disassociate myself...
Drakken looked confident but the tint to his face made it clear he was internally panicking.
"Are you seriously kidding me? You double-crossed me...for Possible? Seriously!" yelled Ed, his fists balled.
"Aye, your own cousin, Drakken?" said Duff. He shook his head.
"I only did it in retaliation because he tried to out Shego and I to my mother," snapped Drakken.
Shego covered her own face in embarrassment. Since they had come to this party, it had only been one awkward problem after another. She expected roars of laughter. Instead she heard a collective gasp. She peeked between her fingers to see a majority of the disapproving looks were now on Ed.
"His mother!?" yelled Dementor. "Unverzeihlich!"
"That's not okay," said Cleopatra. Adrena nodded.
"If my mom knew I was a villain," cringed Adrena, "yikes!"
"Oh! So him helping Possible is warranted?" glared Ed. Shego chimed in.
"Cleopatra was trying to steal it out from under you anyway," said Shego. "If she hadn't hired your ex-wife on accident... You wouldn't even have gotten it."
"Yeah...and if it means anything," Stoppable interrupted, clearly aware of his mistake, "he dumped us into a lake right after."
"Seriously Stoppable," Ed glared. He looked between the two and gave a devious smirk. "Is now really the time to stick up for daddy dearest, seriously?"
More gasps and everyone turned to look at Drakken and Stoppable.
"Not this again," sighed Possible. Shego shared an exasperated look with her.
"This is better than any soap my mom watches," grinned Lucre.
"He is NOT my son," snapped Drakken.
"Not to make this more of a problem, but Nana wants to know when you're coming to visit her?" asked Stoppable. He looked a little nervous. "She is not getting any younger."
"Oh for... That women will outlive us all—" Drakken's rant got cut off.
"Kim poisoned her so I'm not sure about that statement. I mean Nana is fine—" Stoppable was cut off.
"Stop calling her Nana, she is not..." Drakken's rant trailed off and he glared at Possible. "You poisoned Nana?"
"I made one batch of cookies... It was hardly attempted murder and she is fine," Possible sighed. "Listen... Clearly us being here was a mistake... In the spirit of the season...we're just gonna go."
"By all means, leave after putting a poisoned cherry on top of this evening," glared Shego. "Sounds like a great plan actually. Drakken?"
"All right, seriously. So I was in the wrong outing Green... But she shot at my mom," Ed pointed at Shego.
The crowd turned to Shego.
"After she insulted me," glared Shego.
"Considering last Christmas I remember, your mom shot at us with a laser canon... I think she can handle her own," said Cleopatra. Shego had forgotten that.
Ed hesitated as everyone turned back to him.
"That was beside the point!" replied Ed.
"I want to go to one of these dinners," said Camille in a whisper to Dementor. He nodded.
"Why does his mom have a laser cannon?" asked Pandora to Carmella. She shrugged.
"Why are they all having holiday dinners together?" asked Monkey Fist.
"Clean your ears, man," said Duff. He gestured to Stoppable. "Possible's clumsy side-kick is Drakken's son."
"Oh, right. I'm still processing that," shrugged Monkey Fist. "I'd hoped it was just the alcohol talking."
"I can see the resemblance," said DNAmy as she tilted her head and looked between the two.
"There is NO resemblance!" snapped Drakken. Shego rolled her eyes. "Eddie."
Ed was staring at Drakken with a furrowed brow. He seemed to be deep in thought as his eyes darted between Drakken and Team Possible. His expression relaxed and he shook his head. Somehow, it did little to lessen the annoyance Shego felt and Drakken looked puzzled by the expression.
"Seriously. You didn't double-cross me because of almost outing you two. Let's be real. A majority of the people in this room could be outed by a simple newspaper... For real! Besides...because of Possible, you two are still in the clear. Seriously...this is because of the attic," glared Ed.
"What happened in the attic?" asked Stoppable. Shego saw Possible shrug.
Shego saw Drakken's eye twitch and it was a realization that it was in fact the reason he'd given that dumb device Ed wanted to Possible. Shego knew the boxes Ed had been snooping in, according to Drakken, were essentially worthless... But the wordless exchange the two cousins were having made her second guess what he'd told her.
"You know, seriously. I have just as much a right to look at that junk that you do, I don't know why you get all...weird about it," sighed Ed. "Not very cool to sell your blood out because of it either, seriously. Why does it even matter? You're not using it. Auntie sure as hell ain't... Why not me?"
"Oh man...now the soap opera has a mystery turn," snickered Lucre. He and Monkey Fist sat on the surviving reindeer with what looked like popcorn.
"Laser cannons, secrets in the attic, family affairs, long lost family members..." smirked Camille. "This is like my eighteenth birthday all over again. But I get to watch."
Shego wondered if plasma blasting all of them would help or hinder the current situation.
"It's not the point, Eddie. There is nothing there you need," said Drakken. "Whether I use it or not, is none of your business."
"Pfft, seriously? You're just worried that I'd find a use for it over you," said Ed. He rolled his eyes. "That's it isn't it. Because you're not using it, I can't. Unless you do it first, it's a big deal."
"Hardly," scoffed Drakken. "You're the one always copying everything I do."
"Like what?" asked Ed.
"Gee, I don't know," Drakken rolled his eyes. "How about anything I've ever done! In school for starters, taking credit for all my social antics."
"Hey! I took credit for those so you didn't get in trouble," snapped Ed. He smirked. "And for the girls."
"Seems right," said Duff. There was a murmur of agreement.
"How come the bad boy thing didn't work for me, Kim?" asked Stoppable. Shego heard her sigh.
"I thought you two were leaving?" hissed Shego.
"Well now we want to wait until the end of Desperate Villainy is over," smirked Possible. Shego glared.
"That's already a soap opera," said Pandora. "It's pretty lame honestly. I don't know why Hermes likes it."
"Because will Sophia follow in her mother's footsteps or not... Will Carlos discover his secret heritage... It keeps you guessing," said Hermes.
"I love that show!" said Dementor, "What about Cassie? When she and Cliff—"
"LA La la!" yelled Camille as she covered her ears. "I am four episodes behind. Don't you dare ruin it!"
"There are actual villain soap operas?" asked Possible. Stoppable nodded. "How do you know?"
"I got Villa-TV. I told you," shrugged Stoppable. "I got it when I started getting the magazines."
Shego focused back on the continued argument between cousins as everyone else seemed to have remembered it was going on as well. It was pure dumb luck that a majority of party goers had bailed before this thing had taken place, because watching the two argue reminded her of the few times she'd fought with Mego over a sweater.
"You only get mad because I was better at it than you, Cuz. Seriously," said Ed. "You're just worried it would make me a better villain than you...which isn't hard."
There were a few snickers and Shego saw Drakken's eyes dart around the circle. She could see the emotions shift behind his eyes as he glared. Shego's backseat to the argument fell away. She took a strong step towards them and moved in between them and waved her hands around the circle.
"Episode's over," muttered Shego as she shook her head. "All right, this has been a real delight. It was a great...meeting...but come on Dr. D., let's head out."
She expected Drakken to agree with her and turn on his heel; go smugly towards the exit with his arms behind his back. That was more of a hope actually. As she looked between he and his cousin there was a dawning realization... This was far beyond a few insults and jabs. There was a click almost behind Drakken's eyes as she readied to yank him out of there. It was a relief. Drakken's arms went behind his back and the smug smirk appeared.
It was a short-lived relief.
"I'm not worried about you being better than me... Because while you're not an idiot...you only have so many ideas when it comes to villainy without having someone to sabotage or rip off. You may be a genius with mechanics and tinker toys...but unless you have someone to cheat off of...not worried," said Drakken. "Just like the street races, the bad boy image, the—"
"I won that street race fair and square," snapped Ed. Shego raised a brow. Even Drakken looked confused.
"Eddie, I'm in the middle of a monologue—" Drakken was cut off.
"You know, you brought it up a few years ago," said Ed. He waved his hand. "You know, seriously, like right before I accidentally drugged you guys."
"More plot twists to the soap opera," muttered Adrena to Lucre.
"I really don't recall—" Drakken looked annoyed and he was again cut off.
"I do. You claimed this same thing. Seriously," Ed glared. "Listen, I ain't riding no coat tails for no one, and I seriously don't need to prove villainy to anyone... But I will not have my riding ability questioned."
"I was not making a point about—" Drakken glared as he was cut off again.
"No, seriously. You tried to make it sound like I was only good because you seriously wiped out...like I learned to ride from you. Seriously, bogus," glared Ed.
"Clearly this argument has lost traction—" Drakken was cut off again.
"No. Seriously... I challenged you to a race...I want a race," snapped Ed.
"All right, this taking a turn for the stupid, so let's just all go home," sighed Shego. She glared at Possible and Stoppable. "Don't you two have a bedtime?"
"Agreed, this has gotten juvenile," Drakken rolled his eyes. "Pft, us race. What would that even prove?"
"That you have a seriously over-inflated ego to think that I've been copying you or something," said Ed.
"Eddie. We are villains...not race car drivers," said Drakken. "It proves nothing... Besides, I think we're a bit too old for silly games."
In a perfect world that would have ended the argument. Shego rolled her eyes.
In a perfect world we would be in charge.
Unfortunately, the argument had escalated and their fellow villains had not helped matters by egging it on. Shego shook her head as she looked at everyone eager to see a silly motorcycle race. She shook her head as they all walked down a long hall behind Ed to another part of the warehouse. She glared at Drakken and slowed her walk beside him to isolate him from the group.
"This is stupid," hissed Shego in Drakken's ear. "When's the last time you rode a bicycle, let alone a motorcycle?"
"I didn't expect we'd actually be doing this...right now," he grumbled back as they rounded the corner to Ed's indoor track. "You could have chimed in anytime."
"Excuse me. I did. Three times, and yet here we are..." Shego gestured through the entrance.
"Clearly—oh," Drakken's expression went wide eyed.
Shego's narrowed eyes followed his eyes and gasped. The indoor race track was massive and well-constructed. This was to be expected as Shego was sure Ed raced this track for fun with all his silly projects and his greaser friends. It was some of the features of the track that made Shego take a physical step back. A large over-loop was on one end of the track and a ramp into a ring...that Shego suspected might be made of fire when lit. Her eyes moved from this to map out the entire track. It started simple, but she could see long thin planks over water, broken pavement that held feet between it... This wasn't a simple race around the block set up. This was a stunt track and judging by a large pendulum hung from the ceiling that looked like a blade...a villains-level stunt track.
"I was not expecting this," muttered Stoppable. He and Possible had yet to leave.
"This is insane," said Possible. Shego swallowed hard and had to agree.
However skilled Drakken claimed to be...there was no way he could come close to winning this. She doubted her own skills for some of this, but she knew she stood a better chance than Drakken. She grabbed a fist of his sleeve as he went to walk towards the bikes and yanked him back. His eyes flared wide before raising a brow at her.
"Shego what—?" She cut him off.
"You can't be serious. There's no way you can do this," said Shego. She watched the pendulum start to move, "This is crazy. You could get seriously injured."
Drakken's eyes locked on hers and she saw a small smirk.
"Shego, are you worried about me?" he inquired.
Shego was about to respond with a solid, 'Doy!' but the smirk made her suddenly leery. If he got injured or not, there was a chance he would mock her with her claim of being concerned. She knew he would. She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, about listening to you whine about your boo-boos," Shego crossed her arms and glared.
Drakken nodded and looked at the track. There was a long pause that made Shego shift in her spot.
"You don't think I know how to ride, do you?" he broke the silence.
"That's beside the point," said Shego. "Motor Ed knows this track. It's his track. Even if you did used to ride, that was a long time ago... He's been at this for years."
"Yes, and I've been at villainy for years," retorted Drakken. Shego raised a brow.
"Is that what this is? You're worried that people take Motor Ed more seriously as a villain than you?" asked Shego. Drakken looked at his feet. "Is this some sort of silly cousin rivalry?"
"No, Shego. This is about Eddie always trying to one-up me," glared Drakken. Shego threw her hands up and scoffed.
"That's...the exact definition..." Drakken walked past her, "of what I was just saying. Whatever. It's your funeral."
Shego crossed her arms and looked at their fellow villains as they encouraged the insanity. Possible and Stoppable at least had the decency to look concerned. She glared at them and tried to figure out why on earth they were still there, other than Stoppable wanting to see the race. She found herself watching Drakken as he picked out a bike from the sidelines. She looked at the pendulum and then cringed as she saw the fire ring start to kindle. She felt a wave of anxiety hit her in the stomach.
"You'd better at least wear a helmet," she snapped at Drakken. The looks she gained made her trail off. "You two don't need any more brain damage."
"All right, two out of three," yelled Ed as he tossed his helmet in his hands. "Seriously. Try not to die because I'm not dealing with Auntie."
"Not planning on it," scoffed Drakken. He looked at the bike with trepidation.
"I mean... Seriously, if you wanna forfeit," shrugged Ed with a smirk. "I don't think anyone would be shocked, seriously."
There was an antagonistic tone in Ed's voice. Shego let out an agitated sigh as Drakken shoved his helmet on and mounted the bike. Knowing as much as she did about their relationship and childhood...while the stakes were far more dangerous than teen street races and hot wiring cars...neither man seemed to view it as such. They were two cousins bickering and trying to prove a point.
Shego could understand to a point. While she and her siblings had various arguments and petty fights, they would have never actively put each other's lives in danger. More so because Hego or herself would step in to defuse it...unless it was she and Hego... Then all bets were off.
"So no one is going to stop this madness?" asked Possible.
"I tried," scoffed Shego as she leaned against a wall.
"WHOO!" yelled Lucre. "Go Drakken!"
"Oh please," laughed Monkey Fist. "Motor Ed is certainly going to win. This is his domain."
"I'm with Monkey Fist," said Pandora. She grabbed some sort of trail mix from Camille.
"Someone's breaking something or bleeding...and I'm kind of excited," said Camille. She looked at the pendulum. "So long as no one gets beheaded. That would be gross."
"It's not that bad," shrugged Monkey Fist. "So long as you are not in the splash zone—"
"You really need therapy, mein fruend," Dementor shook his head. "My bet's on the mullet king."
"Wait! Who's taking bets?" asked Duff with a wide grin. "Aye, I'll put cash down on Drakken."
"I will take that cash, and put mine on Motor Ed," said Adrena. She perked up. "Motor Ed! Can I be the flag girl?"
"Ah hell yeah babe!" Ed yelled through his helmet. He kicked down and his motorcycle sprung to life.
"Anyone else betting?" asked Camille as she typed in her phone. "So far odds are five to two on Drakken losing."
"Oh fiddles. That's not fair," pouted DNAmy. "I'm not betting, but I'll root for Drakken."
"My money is on Drakken," shrugged Hermes. Pandora raised a brow. "What? Either way we break even. Besides, they're probably fairly matched."
"Really?" asked Stoppable. Shego shook her head.
"This whole thing is stupid," scoffed Shego.
"I agree," retorted Carmella. Shego sighed. "Someone is going to get hurt and all the crazy medic villains left already."
"Those nut jobs? You're better off with office supplies," declared Cleopatra.
"If one of them get hurt I can stitch them up," said DNAmy. "Do you think Motor Ed might have a sewing kit around here?"
"I can't believe how calm you all are," said Possible. "Making bets on a dangerous sitch that involves your friends?"
"First she thinks we throw parties," snorted Cleopatra. "Now she thinks we're friends."
Shego rolled her eyes at the snickers of the group.
"Geesh, glad I'm not a villain," glared Possible. "Ron, do you really want to stay and watch this?"
"Well now I'm concerned for their safety," said Stoppable. Possible nodded and moved near Shego.
"Fine," said Possible as she sat on a stool.
Shego watched Stoppable lean close to Duff.
"Can I get in on this? It's date night next weekend and I can't phone in another Bueno Nacho sitch this time," he muttered.
"Aye, sure," sighed Duff. "The wee lass deserves a good night out. Who's the wager?"
"Ohm... Drakken." Stoppable seemed leery. "Wait—"
"Aw, supporting his Dad. How sweet," said DNAmy with a wide grin.
"Yeah about that—" Stoppable was cut off as Motor Ed revved his bike loudly.
Drakken rolled his eyes behind his helmet. His hands tightened on the handles and he squinted. It would only make sense that he chose the helmet before trying it on. The visor on it was tinted around the edges, causing him to only see in a form of tunnel vision. He felt his leg shake on the ground as he thought about every possible scenario. He turned to look at the other villains, their voices muffled and the sound of he and Ed's engines blocking out any actual words. He saw Shego, her arms crossed, and looking at the track with a blank face.
Shego is right... This is 'stupid' and we should have just run for it.
He felt his foot slide and quickly regained his balance, hoping nobody saw. He turned to see Adrena playing with the flag she'd been given and with another revving, Drakken focused. He took a deep breath and swallowed hard.
Why am I doing this? I haven't ridden one of these in twenty years!
He shook his head and tried to focus harder. He needed to stop his mind from racing off on other subjects while he himself...was in an actual race. He looked at his hands and regretted not wearing his gloves. His shaking foot made him realize he was wearing dress shoes and was in no way secure from slipping. He hadn't even tried out the bike. What if it leaned? What if the throttle stuck?
The flag waved.
Too late.
For a split second Drakken considered just peeling off the ramp and leaving. He was certain that seeming to have stolen the bike instead of racing, wouldn't lose him any villain credentials to his peers. Perhaps mild disappointment at best.
Nothing new there.
Unfortunately his body didn't listen to this thought as he peeled off a split second behind Ed. He picked up pace, despite his own thoughts screaming at him not to. Drakken narrowed his eyes in an attempt to kill these thoughts. He needed to pick up enough speed to make the turn at its angle and keep up with his cousin. It wouldn't bode well if he went careening off the track a few seconds into the race.
As he made the turn and gained a little on Ed, he grinned. Perhaps he was feeling a little too overconfident because the mantra in his head encouraging him just not to die...changed quickly into 'Faster!' and 'Win!' It only faltered as he saw the narrowed ramp up ahead over a water pit. He slowed and Ed gained on him, but at least he didn't fall in. He let out a breath as he passed it, not daring to breath in the ten seconds it took him to cross.
He could hear noises without Ed next to him and glanced over towards where the other villains were. He didn't look too long because he heard revving. His heart went into his throat as he saw Ed. His bike was reared up and he was speed-hopping on a broken platform. Drakken gunned it instead, not exactly confident at the idea of attempting to balance on one tire for that long. His feet were already having trouble staying in place. He managed to clear three of the broken platforms with speed alone. It was sheer dumb luck that he didn't tip the bike on the other four. It had also gotten him ahead of Ed.
"This isn't so bad, I don't know why Shego...oh yeah, that," groaned Drakken as he saw the loop up ahead.
Ed sped past him and Drakken did his best to pick up speed to match him. He was trying his best to figure out the angle, measurement, and ratio of the loop, but his limited sight and the angle were not in his favor. He looked at Ed and decided mirroring his speed was his best option.
Why didn't I calculate this before I got on the bike!?
He internally chastised himself as he hit the throttle. Ed was only a few feet ahead now which meant he'd equaled his speed. He saw Ed glance back behind him and in a split second...Ed's bike emitted flames out the tailpipe. Drakken instinctively slowed but not enough that he could stop himself from entering the loop.
The series of curse words trailing in his head would have given his mother a heart attack, but it was all that kept coming. He knew he didn't have enough speed for the loop but he didn't have much choice. He hit the throttle the best he could and braced himself for flying either out of the loop or falling. Ed cleared it no problem, as was expected. As he hit the top part of the circle he used his feet to hook behind the pedals because just like he thought.
The bike lifted off the metal circle. If he let go, the bike would fall on him... But if he leaned his legs forward he had a slight chance of at least landing the bike before falling off. He did his best to lean forward and felt a searing pain on his right calf. Despite that, he landed on the platform with a few choppy bumps and the bike took off with a jolt. All his revving had amped up the motor looking for traction. The pain in his calf outweighed the pain in his hips and tailbone from the impact. By the breeze against his skin the hot metal of his bike had burned a hole in his pant leg, and probably given him a hefty welt to boot.
His focus fell back ahead of him as he overtook Ed and rounded the corner. He nearly lost his balance and the bike barely stayed on the edge of the raised platform they were on. He knew he was near tears and was fighting a panicked scream... It was little comfort to know that everyone watching had no idea he just wanted to go home in his jammies and whine.
No! I'm not going to whine because Shego will mock me.
He took a few deep breaths as he hit the ramp and flew through the circle of fire. He hit the ground hard and in fact was crying now. His leg hit the motor again and there was for sure a burn now. He bit his lip to stop from yelling. He was relieved that no one could see his expression or tears and that the race was almost over.
It's two out of three.
He sniffed at his own realization. He nodded to himself. He would win this round and then declare he had proved his point and go home...where there was ice...and a soft comfy bed...and presumably nothing on fire. He rounded the last corner and could see everyone come into view... His bike was yanked back by something and he hit the edge again. He saw a blast of green shoot past him and heard a yell from Ed. The pressure on his bike stopped. Unfortunately...it sent him crashing over the edge and he lost his balance completely as the bike fell on him.
Drakken's arm ached and he looked up to see a busted chain attached to the back of his bike, the other half trailing from the front of Ed's bike, which came sliding to a halt near Shego, her hand still blazing and her eyes narrowed at Ed. Drakken saw movement and his bike was pulled off of him by Duff and Stoppable while Carmella offered him her hand. He accepted the help begrudgingly and watched Ed yank his helmet off and turn on Shego.
"What the hell was that, Shego?" snapped Ed. "You shot at my head."
"You shot literal flames and a freaking harpoon at your cousin," snapped Shego. Her hand flared again. "How is rigging the race proving you're a better rider?"
"We're villains. There are no rules!" snapped Ed. "Seriously Green, what's your problem? If you're so worried about Drew, why don't you hop on with him. Not like we don't already know he needs someone to hold his hand."
Drakken narrowed his eyes and felt his skin grow warm. Ed's comment made him suddenly agitated. While he knew he relied on Shego for more than he actually needed to, it was quite another for his cousin to act like he was some sort of child. He stepped away from Carmella.
"I don't need anyone holding my hand," snapped Drakken. He yanked off his helmet. "But low blow with your little game there Eddie."
"That's completely unfair," said Possible. She wasn't far from Shego and held a similar expression of anger. "It's already your track and now you have a rigged bike."
"It's a villain's game," shrugged Cleopatra.
"Complete bogus," snapped Carmella. Cleopatra raised a brow. "Villain race or not...he doesn't have any attacks to counter."
"If he wins then it proves Drakken's point doesn't it?" smiled Monkey Fist as he downed another drink. "Come on. I have my money on Motor Ed, tricks or not."
"Aye, that's completely unfair," said Duff. "If Drakken loses I ain't paying up. He's got no power."
"Anything he can get on his bike is fair game," said Ed with a glare. "So hop on Green."
"Her weight would put him at a disadvantage," said Cleopatra. Shego glared at her. "What? His bike is clearly heavier than Eddie's so it's even right now. It would slow him down. Right, Eddie?"
"...Yeah," muttered Ed.
"I knew that," said Drakken in annoyance. "I'll be fine."
Drakken made a mental tally of anything he might have in the hover car. He looked at Shego, who seemed to be looking around and in her boot for something he could use. He didn't hate the idea of Shego riding with him, but the loop had already been hard enough. He was about to declare that this was not an even match and a re-match in the future—which he would make sure never came—when Duff spoke.
"Aye, I got some spare explosives," glared Duff. "If that's the way he fits to play his kin... Think you can fit them in your pockets? Or is your sparkly coat too fancy."
"What?" asked Drakken. Duff pulled out a few gold balls from his coat pocket. "Oh...ohm... thank you Killigan."
Drakken gave an appreciative smile.
"All right, don't get sappy though," said Duff quickly. "I just don't like seeing an unfair match... Brings me back to my days on the competitive greens."
"Right, of course," said Drakken. He looked at them and tried to figure out a way to toss them.
"Well if we're lending help," said Carmella. A familiar colorful staff nearly hit him in the face as he turned, "You can borrow this...I mean, you did make it after all."
"I did?" asked Drakken. A foggy memory came back of Shego and Carmella fighting with it. "Oh...yeah... Did you paint it?"
"...Yes," said Carmella.
"How's he going to use that and drive?" said Shego. She sighed and looked at him. "Can you just drop the ego and let's leave... What happened to your leg?"
"I have this under control, Shego," said Drakken as he looked at his torn pant leg. "Eddie?"
"Drakken—" Shego was cut off as Ed responded.
"You backing out," smirked Ed. Drakken's stomach twisted.
"No," sneered Drakken. He saw Shego glare before shaking her head and walking back in the crowd. "Just one more round and whoever wins, that's it."
"Seriously?" asked Ed. Drakken nodded. "Fine, an easier win for me."
"How are you going to use those things?" asked Lucre. Drakken looked at the staff and put the balls in his pocket.
"Perhaps I could tie..." Drakken bit his lip.
"Rufus!" yelled Stoppable.
Drakken jumped, he'd been unaware the side-kick was next to him. He cringed as the little pink mole-rat came bouncing out of Stoppable's pocket and looked around in tired confusion. It took Drakken an uneasy second to get what he was implying as he dumped the creature on his bike casually. Drakken glared at Stoppable and then towards the sky. His only chance for assistance in this chaotic race was a naked mole rat and some trinkets. He was about to decline when he was handed what looked like a hairdryer with a hook.
"I'm not supporting this, but I think it's totally unfair," said Possible as she walked back towards the crowd.
"Hey, you can tie the grappling hook thing to your bike like Motor Ed had," grinned Lucre who took off his shoe. "I got a shoelace!"
Drakken watched as said hook was tied on and took a moment to look at those around him. While he appreciated the assistance and it made him feel a slight wave of joy, it was nothing compared to what his cousin probably had up his sleeve. Now that the playing field was slightly even, it meant Ed wouldn't hold back. He limped slightly as he moved his motorcycle back to the starting line. He looked at Shego who was looking at her phone with narrowed eyes. He slammed his helmet on and glared towards her for a second.
I'll show her...and Ed...and whoever is sober enough to actually remember this.
He looked at Monkey Fist who was spinning on a support beam.
Drakken shook his head and mounted his bike. He gave a deep sigh and jumped as there was a tapping at his helmet. He took it off and the mole rat jumped in.
"Oh, no. Not happening," stated Drakken. "Out of the helmet!"
"Seriously Cuz...were you crying?" asked Ed. Drakken looked at him. "Your eyes are all red."
"I wasn't crying," glared Drakken as he moved the mole rat and shoved the helmet back on.
Drakken's eyes shot open as the obscuring tint of the helmet's visor was gone. He looked to see the mole rat trying to get a film sticker from his hands. Drakken held the sticker so he could pull it off and smiled. He quickly shook the smile and for the second time that evening was glad no one could see his face. The mole rat ran up his arm and he felt him tuck himself in the collar of his coat. Drakken shrugged.
Here goes nothing.
Drakken watched as a cheerful DNAmy wove the flag this time. Clearly Adrena was far too busy mimicking Monkey Fist by the support beams. Drakken took off the moment the flag became parallel with DNAmy's leg. He wanted to get as much distance from Ed and his tricks as he could. Drakken cringed as he felt the mole rat's claws on his skin as it ran down his sleeve. He saw its head pop out near his hand, the slight crescent moon scar near his thumb a reminder of the last time he'd been so close to the pink creature. Drakken rounded the corner. The faster he went, the sooner it was over; the farther from Ed, the less likely anything would be tossed his way.
He felt a tug at his bike again and pushed forward. The mole rat vanished up his sleeve and into his pocket. There were a few loud explosions and he gained speed again. Drakken glanced behind him and smirked as Ed slowed, the hook weighing him down in a blaze of smoke. Drakken saw the thin plank again and slowed. It didn't last long as the mole rat was back on his hand and nudging the throttle forward.
"Stop it!" yelled Drakken. "I can't keep balanced that fast!"
The thing chattered something and began hitting buttons.
"You're going to get us both killed," he snapped. His aggression faded as he cleared the plank with ease.
Drakken saw the platforms ahead and attempted to pick up speed to try and luck jump across. The mole rat shook his head. An array of spikes shot past his front tire. Drakken yelled at the sudden attack and pulled his tire back. It appeared he was jumping his bike across on one wheel instead of skating across like last time. He cleared it and sped up towards the loop. Ed jumped past him and a series of sharp objects hit his bike and slowed him down again.
Drakken was going even slower on the loop than the first time. There was a 'plink' sound and the grappling hook shot off and launched them outside the loop. It was as if time slowed for a second and Drakken heard himself scream as he clung to the bike. He saw the mole rat float ahead of him and grabbed it before it fell. It might have seemed like a good gesture in ensuring the thing's safety...but Drakken was really thinking that if he plummeted to his death, he was taking the mole rat with him.
With a hard hit that sent a sharp pain along his spine...they landed back on the track. Drakken froze for a second before hitting the throttle again. His mental whining of wanting to be home in an ice bath and with a lot of ice cream was halted by the need to finish the race first.
Shego pulled her hands from her eyes as she heard Duff yell cheerfully. Her heart was racing a mile a minute as she watched the race. She'd had to restrain herself from shooting a blast at Ed after those flying daggers of his. Drakken's impromptu flight via grappling hook had made her, for the first time, actually panic. Everyone was cheering and laughing, but she just felt nauseous. She glanced at everyone and shot glares to all of them. Her eyes found Possible who seemed to be the only one not cheering the insanity on.
"Shego, are you okay?" asked Possible. Shego sobered up and crossed her arms.
"I'm fine, Possible," she glared. "Just watching two idiots trying to kill themselves with stupid stunts."
"Right," said Possible. "You know Rufus is super helpful... I'm sure Drakken will be fine."
"Pfft," scoffed Shego as she shifted in place. "Whatever Drakken does is his problem. I just don't want to listen to him whine about it later."
"Mmhmm," nodded Possible. "Okay."
"What's that supposed to—" Shego was cut off as everyone let out a gasp. "Now what?"
Ed was right next to Drakken and his bike was shooting sparks at Drakken. Drakken's bike was wobbling near the edge again. Shego's hands flared as she saw Ed's foot move towards Drakken's bike. There was a large flash of bright light and Ed went flying off the edge and into the center of the track. His bike shot the opposite way as the grappling hook had seemed to have found another use. Drakken regained hit traction and barely hit the finish line before his tire let loose from the frame and he jumped off the bike as it skidded into a wall. Shego felt her phone buzz as Drakken stood up and she looked at it.
"See? Told you he would be fine," said Possible.
Shego nodded as she looked at the phone. She'd missed several calls, one from Dean but others from numbers of people who had very important items she needed. She looked up at Drakken, who was clearly fine, and then back at the phone. She felt the phone buzz again and looked towards the exit.
"Who's Dean?" asked Possible. She had clearly glimpsed her call log.
"None of your business," hissed Shego.
She ducked down the hall as she saw the familiar number's call from one of the ads she'd inquired about. She glanced back towards where Drakken had jumped off the track and quickly answered the phone.
Drakken rubbed his leg as he tossed his helmet. The naked mole rat sprinted back to the side-kick, still holding the taser staff until he reached him. Drakken looked smugly over his shoulder towards Ed, who he suddenly became aware was limping through some debris, a large crack in the visor of his helmet.
"All right, Rufus, way to handle a...weird taser-wand thing," said Stoppable as he held his mole rat.
"Your taser shot me off the track! And you seriously hooked my ride mid-air," yelled Ed as he tossed his helmet. He pointed to where the motorcycle dangled from the rafters. "That's unfair."
"I believe you said it was a villain's game," said Drakken. He felt more than a little smug. "Besides, a better rider would have seen that coming."
"You had a naked mole rat firing lasers at me," snapped Ed. Drakken saw his bleeding nose as he turned around.
"Eddie, did you hit your head?" asked Drakken in a serious tone.
"No. I smacked my face on the inside of my helmet when I fell," said Ed with a glare. He scoffed. "Seriously, I can't believe you beat me."
Ed crossed his arms and looked at the other villains and then glared at Drakken. Drakken cringed at the look. He looked for Shego just in case they had to leave. It was his cousin's party after all, and silly race or not, Drakken was sure he was about to be very unwelcome. However, he didn't see her. He did see Cleopatra sprinting towards them with a rag. He saw Ed's glare and clenched fist, clearly ready to punch him.
"Eddie, how hard did you hit your head?" Cleopatra darted past him. "You could have a concussion."
"Seriously, I'm fine, just..." It was clear Eddie was going to wave her off but then paused. "I mean...my head kinda hurts... Seriously, just a little."
"You poor dear," responded Cleopatra.
"I mean, seriously. I'm sure it's fine...nothing a little nap won't cure," said Ed. Drakken rolled his eyes in disbelief.
"Nonsense," sighed Cleopatra. "What if you do? You shouldn't be left alone just in case."
"Well it's getting later and I don't think I can seriously call any of my guys back," responded Ed.
"I can stay," doted Cleopatra. "Eddie, just tilt your head forward and pinch your nose... We'll get this stopped first."
Drakken saw any anger completely vanish from Ed's face as he suddenly began to whine about his nose hurting and how sore he was. Drakken looked on in confusion until Ed gave him a grin and thumbs up before gesturing to where Cleopatra was checking his bruised arm. Drakken shook his head and went back towards where people were collecting their winnings. Okay so it was only Duff, Hermes, Lucre, and Stoppable... But at least someone had believed in him. He looked towards where he'd seen Shego next to Possible...but there was no Shego.
"All right, Ron. I think it's time we actually leave," said Possible. Stoppable was currently avoiding Monkey Fist who was attempting to dance with him.
"I want to... Uhg, get off. You lost, remember," said Stoppable as he managed to pawn Monkey Fist off on Adrena who danced with him.
Drakken scratched his head and looked at Possible, clearly the only one not having some sort of drunken celebration or collecting winnings.
"Have you seen Shego?" asked Drakken.
Possible raised a brow and looked over her shoulder. She furrowed her brows and gave a strange sympathetic look that he wasn't certain about.
"I think she was calling someone named Dean," shrugged Possible. "She went back inside."
"Oh," said Drakken.
He felt like a deflated balloon. Not that it mattered, but he was a little let down Shego wasn't there to celebrate his win. He watched as his fellow villains made their way toward the doors as well and made sure his facial expression didn't show his disappointment.
"Must have been important," he shrugged. "She can revel in my victory later."
He saw Possible's eyes flare and then settle into an expression he couldn't pinpoint.
"No doubt," she smiled. It made him uneasy. "Have a Merry Christmas."
"Yeah," grinned Stoppable. "And don't forget to visit Nana."
Drakken's slight smile turned into a grimace.
"For the last time—" Drakken began.
"Aw! It's so cute that they go visit family together," said DNAmy. She was guiding Monkey Fist and Adrena.
"Aye, it's even more shocking that the lad got Possible as a girlfriend, considering Drakken's his dah," said Duff as they walked off.
"He is not—" Drakken glared as they all talked loudly and left the area. He glared at Stoppable.
"Hey...talk to Motor Ed," said Stoppable. "I wasn't bringing it up past Thanksgiving."
"I don't want people thinking we're related!" snapped Drakken.
"I don't want my enemies thinking I'm dating your son," said Possible.
There was an exchange of agreement between Drakken and Possible as the teens left. Drakken looked around the empty track. All his peers were probably headed home given the late hour and the renewed realization that Possible had been there. His cousin had also vanished with Cleopatra, probably being doted on for his mild injury. Drakken looked at the track and expected to feel the smug pride return, but it didn't. He'd raced his cousin for what? To prove he was once a better rider because they got into an argument. No one would have cared either way.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline, panic, and triumph finally fading... But as he looked at the empty room...he felt very alone.
You are alone.
He rolled his eyes at his internal thought as he limped over towards the bike. His shoulder hurt, his back ached, and his leg still felt on fire...and for what? An empty room.
The mole rat got more praise.
Drakken glared. Logically he hadn't expected a fanfare or anything if he won... But at least one person would have been nice. He looked at his coat sleeve and saw the unraveled sequins for the first time. He focused on the green hue and sighed. He'd assumed at least Shego would have said something, even if it was calling him an idiot for doing it. He sat on the bike and hissed at the pain before picking up the wand still on the ground where the mole rat had dropped it.
He didn't know how long he felt sorry for himself. He knew he'd been spinning the small staff like a baton and had nearly hit himself in the face a few times, but he'd been lost in thought. He'd been mulling over why he did anything and brooding about all his downfalls when he heard high-heels. He glared, assuming Shego had finally got off the phone to come check on him.
"There you are," came the sing-songy familiar voice.
"Dr. Sweets?" asked Drakken. He looked at the staff. "Ah, back for the staff?"
"I do want that back," she laughed. "But I assumed you were behind us with it."
"I'm just mulling over my victory in peace," he grinned. He hoped his expression sold his statement.
"Well, I don't want to stop your victorious reveling," smiled Carmella. "That was very impressive."
"Ah yes, all aided by a little pink weasel," Drakken rolled his eyes.
"Well that was impressive too, but I was talking about the first lap," said Carmella as she sat on the bike next to him. "You would have won if Motor Ed hadn't played dirty. What Cleopatra sees in him is beyond me."
"Quite a failure to not have swooped in and stopped her from wandering off with Eddie," said Drakken with a smirk. Carmella's smile fell.
"Batting a thousand lately," she muttered. Drakken raised a brow.
"From what I remember and what I've seen... You know, the ads in Villain's Weekly," said Drakken. "You're doing very well."
"Yes. Mass-distributing cheap knock-off versions of my work to any weirdo with a few bucks in their pocket," Carmella sneered. "You think they'd do background checks on those things...because they don't."
"Shouldn't you talk about that with your partner?" asked Drakken.
"Hmpf. Partners only care about the end result, not the emotional and concerning turmoil surrounding it," said Carmella. She paused and looked around ". Where's Shego?"
"Probably on the phone with her boyfriend," shrugged Drakken. He ignored the knot in his stomach at the word.
"Oh... Boyfriend?" asked Carmella. Drakken nodded. "I thought...well you know?"
"What?" asked Drakken. He paused for a moment and laughed. "Shego and I are only partners."
Carmella was glaring at her staff and Drakken got off the bike.
"It's getting late—" Drakken was cut off.
"Then why did you choose her over me?" asked Carmella. "If there was nothing going on."
Drakken raised a brow and then smirked.
"You really are as petty as you claimed," he chuckled. "Is that why you bit her? Because of something I did three years ago?"
"We both know how petty we both are," smirked Carmella. It faltered. "If I say yes..."
"It would confirm your insanity," smirked Drakken.
"Well tell me something I don't know," she laughed. "My life is dedicated to ruining people's lives with minor to severe inconvenient candies."
"Ah, simplicity," snorted Drakken. "Looks like the evening is over. Guess the race was the best for last sort of addition to my cousin's party."
"I don't know. I think this is probably my favorite part right now," said Carmella with a slight shrug.
Drakken's smirk fell and he felt a little warm in the face by her statement. He looked around them as if waiting for some sort of trap or joke. A final revenge from his cousin, perhaps. He looked at the staff, which had been dropped right where he'd remembered her standing...yet she'd left it. He raised a brow and tried figuring out if it could be an elaborate revenge plan. She had bit Shego.
"You're overthinking what I just said aren't you," sighed Carmella as she hopped off the bike. "You may be an evil megalomaniac genius...but you are oblivious sometimes. You know that, right?"
"I'm waiting for the trap," said Drakken as he took a step back. "Or catch."
Carmella's smile fell and she looked crestfallen before shaking her head and grabbing her staff.
"I don't know if it's me in particular, but when did you start thinking that someone showing interest in you was only because of a joke or trap?" asked Carmella. She held up the staff. "I did purposely leave this here as an excuse to come back...but it wasn't for some evil plan."
Drakken watched her take a few steps and processed her words. He wasn't certain how truthful they were, but she had come back to talk to him... Had been the only one to praise him... Given him her staff... Helped him up when they bike had fallen on him.
'When did you start thinking that someone showing interest in you was only because of a joke...?'
A mental montage of moments where Drakken had thought Shego might have had interest in him played through his head—the night gown, the kiss, the weird flirting that he knew she'd just been doing to get under his skin... His brow furrowed and he glared towards the doorway. His mind had gone through all that in the two steps Carmella had taken and he took a deep breath.
"Carmella, wait..."
Shego let out a deep sigh as she hung up the phone, finally done with the silly interview for the job. It had taken way too long and it was overly tedious. It wasn't like she wasn't just going to rob them and steal the item for Drakken anyway. She looked around the dimly lit parking garage and paused at the hover car. Drakken wasn't there, but there were no other vehicles save for a bright pink sports car. Shego was certain that would have been Carmella and Cleopatra's ride.
"Uhg, what, is he still gloating to Ed about winning?" sighed Shego as she headed back inside. "I suppose it saves me from having to praise him."
Not that she wasn't impressed and relieved that he wasn't seriously injured and had actually won. She just knew he would bring it up more times than was warranted and she would eventually get annoyed by it and snap at him. She walked through the empty warehouse with the half-knocked-down forest and frowned.
She shook her head and crossed her arms as she walked back towards the race track area. She smirked as she replayed his race in her head. She wasn't going to lie, he was far better than she thought he'd be. She'd honestly wondered if he'd been serious about his skills. It was a lot easier now to imagine his younger self in a leather jacket and with a motorcycle. She snorted at the thought.
"Ms. Go would have been all over that," she laughed aloud. "A dorky bad boy."
Her laugh trailed off as she sighed to herself. She recalled Possible talking to her, trying to reassure her that Drakken was going to be fine. Shego panicked and dismissed her concern...
But why?
If anything, the teen would have simply assumed because of their working relationship or even a friendship. She doubted the teen would have thought anything more of her and Drakken's relationship. Even if she did, what possible annoyance could unfold...? Shego paused her pace.
Yeah, she would be childish enough to use it as a poke to annoy me.
Shego rounded the corner down the hall and began wondering what if she had simply said she had been worried. Her shoulders dropped and she suddenly realized that everyone had immediately left, which meant Drakken had just been left alone or with an angry Ed. She picked up her pace. He'd even seemed injured before the second race. She rounded the final hallway and froze as she saw Drakken talking to Carmella. He indeed had a limp when he moved towards the candy villain. They were in the middle of a conversation and Shego hesitated as Carmella said her name.
"So...Shego?" asked Carmella as she fixed Drakken's lapels. Shego glared.
"There is nothing going on between Shego and I," stated Drakken firmly. Shego's throat felt tight at his words.
"Nothing?" Carmella tilted her head.
"Never has been...never will be," said Drakken. Shego took a step back.
She glared. It wasn't like she didn't agree, it was just hearing it out-loud and so firmly. She felt her stomach twist as she glared at Carmella... And being spoken to her nonetheless. Shego glared and decided to interrupt them...but she barely took a step over the threshold, when...
Shego felt suddenly numb as she froze in place.
Drakken had leaned down towards Carmella who hadn't hesitated to clear the gap between her and Drakken.
There was a twisting ill feeling in Shego's gut as she watched Drakken kiss the candy villain. Shego didn't know what to say or do at the moment. She wanted to flee back to the hover car and pretend she hadn't just seen that. She wanted to shoot a plasma blast right at them and tell Drakken he was an idiot. She wanted to physically scream at the horror before her... But most of all...she felt like a door had just slammed on her, if not by his prior words...but now his actions. She swallowed hard and decided the hover car seemed like the best option... She just wanted to go home.
Drakken was right. We should have never come to this party.
