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Rosali Leon Huamani: Gracias! Helga? Oh, ella esta por un sitio y como usted ya sabes, ella tiene su razones porque ella escogió ningún lado. Pero, si va aparecer pronto. No me olvide de ella, jajajaja.
También quería ponerla en un lado para dar mas campo a los otro personajes en esta historia. Como ella es una de las mayor personajes, ella, obviamente, ocupa una grande porción de los diálogos aquí y tal vez, disminuya la oportunidad para los otro personajes en tener su oportunidad en estar en el foco.
Cre8ivelybankrupt87: Yeah, you're right. Calling that chapter 'How could you?' is more appropriate. But, I wanted to also add to the drama a bit by making it look like that things are going to get worse, which it will.
Well you know, they could just act like mature people and quarrel about it later, or just bury the hatchet by talking about their feelings. But, to paraphrase Phil Shortman in the episode 'Arnold's Thanksgiving', "If we act how everyone wants us to behave, then where's the fun in that?" lol.
Yeah, apart from the fact that I wanted to give Lila more dialogue in this story, I'd figured she would be one of the best people Arnold can talk to at a time like this, apart from Gerald. Plus, it was nice to see in the TV series how nice they were with each other, even during when Arnold was pursuing her romantically. I'd figure they would have a really good, solid friendship after TJM.
Von Scheck was in his office, once again admiring the sunset as it shined its rays over the horizon. He remained absolutely silent, admiring the view, admiring the peaceful and blissful relaxation that it brought whenever a wonderer, after a long and exhausting day, can enjoy. Indeed for the CEO, it had been a long day. After another exhausting and grueling schedule, which extended to almost twelve hours of constant meetings, making calculated risks, psychologically manipulating his opponents, ensuring that the company's finance continued with regaining profits, Von Scheck wanted nothing more than to just sit back and relax, to enjoy the evening and just be thankful…
"But alas, it is not to be." He sighed to himself.
Indeed, these last few days Von Scheck had been feeling rather stiff and anxious. And it wasn't anything minor. He had had little sleep, as it has been constantly plaguing his mind to no end. As the days continued, that anxiety grew ever stronger. It had nothing to do with work. Oh no, he was anxious about something else entirely.
Arnold...He thought angrily.
In the days past, Von Scheck had been growing more and more paranoid, convincing himself that at any moment, that meddling, physically disabled football headed teen was going to burst into his office at any minute and either confront him, or break in and attempt to gather whatever evidence he needed in order to stop him. Yet, ever since the announcement that FTI was to once again 're-model' the neighbourhood, neither Arnold, or any of his friends had made any attempt to break into his headquarters. He still couldn't believe that all Arnold had done was to merely canvass around his neighbourhood to gather support.
He tried that already! Von Scheck angrily thought. And now I hear that he organized a protest rally at City Hall? Really? Does that stupid teen actually think those methods are going to stop me? I know he is smarter than that. So, what is he up to?!
Von Scheck's paranoia hadn't just been taking its toll on him, but also his security system and personnel. For about a week he has had the whole building on full alert, with security guards keeping their guard around the clock. Thus far, he was making no attempt to light up.
Hubert, his current Head of Security, made no attempt to protest or made any qualms against Von Scheck for his 'excessive' desire to keep the building on almost virtual lock down. Like his superior and Nick Vermicelli, he too felt utterly humiliated that three measly little kids were able to enter the building, unauthorized and unescorted not once, but twice! The fact that he was able to keep his job after this was a miracle. He did not want the same thing to happen thrice! Hubert went so far as to hire more security personnel, re-equipping the building with the latest gadgets and equipment, from thermal cameras, to alarm laser wires that were placed on strategic locations.
For any other person in Von Scheck's position, they would have been thrilled at the fact that they were virtually so close to reaching their goal; revenge and monetary gains. For any other person, it should be smooth sailing from there on in. Not Von Scheck. He wasn't taking any chances. That's why he summoned Nick and Robert to his headquarters; to find out what happened at City Hall the day prior.
Then, a buzz was heard in Von Scheck's office.
"Yes?" Von Scheck asked when he pressed the sending button.
"Excuse me, Mr. Von Scheck. There are two gentlemen here to see you, sir." His Head of Security, Hubert spoke through the speaker.
"Good. Please send them in." Von Scheck said.
While he waited, he went to his office bar and made himself another drink. He just finished his first drink for the evening. In a rare moment, he felt like having another alcoholic drink. After making his drink, he decided to once again stand by the window and admire at the sunset, which by now, had almost disappeared, revealing in its full glory, a perfect mixture of red, yellow and orange in the sky. One could even state that the evening sky was a stark contrast to Vincent Van Gogh's The Starry Night painting.
When this is all over, perhaps I should be buy that painting in celebration. Von Scheck thought.
*Knock**knock*
"Come in." Von Scheck called out.
The door knob turned, allowing the door to open and swing open. Nick Vermicelli and Robert Dole came into the room.
"Evening, boss." Nick said to him.
"Good evening, Mr. Von Scheck."
"Good evening gentlemen." Von Scheck responded back as he took a sip from his drink. He then turned around to face them.
"I understand you had quite an event down at City Hall the other day, Mr. Dole." He said to Robert.
"Yes Mr. Von Scheck." Robert responded, albeit a bit nervously. "We had a break-in that triggered our alarm system. We had to put the whole building on lock down."
"Really?" Von Scheck asked with a suspicious eyebrow. "Did it have anything to do with that protest that Arnold held on that same day?"
"Well, the people who broke in the building were some of Arnold's friends." Robert answered. "They came from the back of the building and through the ventilating system." He explained.
"I must admit, I admire these kids' resourcefulness on being able to infiltrate a highly secured buildings without much trouble." Von Scheck said as he took another took. "What were they looking for?"
"We're not sure, but we can assume they were looking for any evidence that would link you with anyone working there. You know, any evidence of bribery and corruption."
"Oh, come now Robert," Von Scheck said with an almost pleasant chuckle, "'bribery' and 'corruption' are such harsh words. I prefer to call them as 'gifts' and political 'lobbying'."
"Yes, sir." Robert spinefully agreed. "But you can rest assured sir, that they took nothing that would have incriminated you with anyone working there." He quickly added
"Oh, good." Von Scheck said, feeling a bit relaxed on knowing that. "I take that it was Nick's phone call that helped ensured that." He added, but now with a bit of a disappointed look on his face.
"Yes sir." Robert said. "Nick informed me when he saw them breaking-in."
"Was Arnold inside the building?" Von Scheck asked.
"No sir. He stayed outside, continuing to lead the protest. It must have been someone else." Robert responded. "We know that you didn't want us to harm Arnold, so once we knew that he wasn't the one that broke into City Hall, we came up with a plan in order to catch them red-handed and arrest them. Unfortunately, they were able to escape we before we could do so."
"How disappointing." Von Scheck said with a calming, but aggravated tone, while giving Robert an even more disappointed look.
"But, I heightened our security around the building in order to ensure that no further break-ins like this will ever occur again." Robert quickly added, taking notice of his boss' disappointed look that he was giving him.
"See that it doesn't." Von Scheck calmly said with a stern face.
Despite failing in taking this golden opportunity to apprehend Arnold's friends, Von Scheck knew that Robert had been and is still is a reliable asset and decided to over look this, for now.
"Excuse me gentlemen, but I am a bit confused here." Von Scheck then said, wanting to get to the real reason why he asked them to see him that evening. "But, isn't it a bit counter-intuitive of Arnold to hold a protest while at the same time, instruct some of his friends to break into City Hall, risking his own protest and thereby, his credibility if that break-in were to fail, which it did?"
"Ya boss" Nick said. "You got a point there. Except, I don't think that break-in was organized by that football headed kid."
"Oh?" Von Scheck said surprisingly, to which Nick nodded.
"I think that break-in was organized without Arnold's knowledge; possibly by that Latino kid, Rodrigo." Nick continued.
"And how did you come up with that conclusion?" Von Scheck asked.
"Well, after they lost a good deal of support at that meeting about a week ago," Nick began to explain, "I realized that a serious argument must have ensued within Arnold's group of friends. The reason for this is because in the days prior to the protest, only half of Arnold's group was canvassing around the neighbourhood, as well as gathering support online."
"And the other half?" Von Scheck calmly asked.
"The other half have been rendezvousing at one of the teen's house, specifically Rhonda Lloyd's, during that same time." Nick responded, "I wasn't able to get inside to hear anything due to the high security around the mansion. So, I didn't know what they were planning until they went to City Hall a few days later. On that day, Rodrigo's group was acting strangely. They were really surprised to find Arnold and his friends holding the protest and at one point, even thought about abandoning their plan, but Rodrigo pushed them on. Then, one of the kids that broke into this building years ago, the African-American teen with the weird hairdo, Gerald, went to a cafe restaurant for some reason and when he came out, he saw that Rodrigo kid and his group at the back of the building. What was really weird about all of this was that Gerald was also acting strangely. He looked like he was hiding from Rodrigo, as if he was suspicious of his own friends. He looked pretty confused as to why Rodrigo was also there. Then, he must have realized something because he looked completely freaked out, and then immediately rushed back to the front of the building, where the protest was happening. He never once made any attempt to talk to any of them."
"And this all explains that the group have split up?" Von Scheck asked. "I do not find such 'evidence' as sufficient.."
"Well, after that fiasco," Nick continued, "the two groups confronted each other and Arnold and Rodrigo looked pretty ticked off. Both of them accused each other about ruining the other's plan. A fight even almost broke out. I'm not sure what's eating them up, but the two groups seem to have serious grudges with each other. Whatever the case, it seems to be working in our favor. They seem more concerned with each other than with us and I plan on using that against them in order to keep them busy from meddling in our business."
"Hm, interesting." Von Scheck said as he a sip from his drink. "So, you actually believe that Arnold is, at this most critical moment, engaged in a little civil war with his own friends?"
"Looks that way, boss." Nick shrugged.
Von Scheck said nothing and just took another sip from drink. Soon, he began to smile, then started chuckling, until finally, he burst out laughing.
"Hahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!" Von Scheck continued to laugh, almost uncontrollably. "Oh, this is so surreal! My enemy, hahahaha, a teenager, engaged in a struggle for power against his own friends! Hahahahahaha."
Nick and Robert initially looked at each other nervously and skeptically before then looking back at their boss, not really knowing what to do or how to take his laughter.
"Hahahaha, this is, hahahahahaha, this is just too easy!" Von Scheck continued to hysterically laugh.
"Hehe, right boss." Nick chucked a bit.
"Hehehe." Robert then joined in and began to chuckle a bit.
"WAHAHAHAHAHAHA, within only a few weeks, hahahahaha, we will level that god forsaken neighbourhood to the ground, hahahaha, and then I'll have my revenge!" Von Scheck to laugh loudly.
"All awhile, that football head is fighting the wrong people!" Von Scheck continued.
By now, both Nick and Robert were genuinely laughing as well, seeing the funny side to all of this. That is, until...
"Fools!" Von Scheck then angrily yelled at them and slammed his fist onto his desk, completely startling Nick and Robert and prompting them to go silent.
"Do you know what that loathsome little football head is doing?!" He angrily asked them.
Both Nick and Robert, startled at Von Scheck's sudden anger, just shook their heads.
"It's a trick! Don't you see?! He is just creating a diversion to lower our guard down and that's when he will hit us; when we are relaxed and not suspecting it!" He firmly exclaimed.
"Uhh..." Nick tried to say something but was unsure on what to say. Could it be possible? Could what he saw between Arnold and Rodrigo be just merely a trick?
However, before either of his subordinates could say anything, Von Scheck then pressed the buzzer.
"Security!" Von Scheck said with a loud and firm voice
"Y-Y-Yes, Mr. Von Scheck?" Hubert rather nervously answered.
"Do you have anything to report on any suspicious activities within the building?" Von Scheck asked, trying to be calm.
"None, sir." Hubert responded.
*Bang*
Von Scheck again angrily banged his office desk with his fist, prompting both Nick and Robert to jump a bit. Even Hubert heard it and was a bit startled.
"Are you sure?!" Von Scheck demanded.
"Y-Yes, sir." Hubert said nervously. "There have been no break-ins, nor any tampering with our security systems. None of my guards have reported anything."
Hubert was initially going to politely 'remind' Von Scheck that he had asked him the same question only a few hours ago, but wisely decided to remain silent.
Von Scheck merely groaned, but then said with a calmly voice,
"Thank you, Hubert." And then released the buzzer button.
"Boss, I know you are a bit antsy about that football head busting into this building again," Nick then calmly and cautiously said to him, "but aren't you overthinking this a bit?"
"Maybe to you, who hadn't had the 'luxury' of spending seven years of your life in prison." Von Scheck snarled at him. "I cannot count of the number of times I had to defend myself from thugs and scumbags who wanted a 'piece' of me, thinking that I was easy meat because a kid put me there! For seven years I waited patiently while trying to stay alive, involving myself in activities that would guarantee me to be released earlier than my original sentence. But while I was there, I promised myself that should I ever get out of that rat infested stink hole, I would never allow myself to be outmaneuvered by that kid again! And now that I'm out, I'm taking all necessary precautions. I am going to have my revenge on that kid and his disgusting neighbourhood, one way or another. But above all, I'm not going to allow him to sneak up on me as he did seven years back! Do I make myself clear, Nick?"
"Ya, boss." Nick nervously said.
"Robert?" Von Scheck then sternly asked him.
"Yes, sir." Robert nervously said.
"Good." Von Scheck, finally calming down and fixing his hair that had dripped a bit.
"Nick, you are to continue on keeping an eye on both Arnold and Rodrigo." Von Scheck said to him. "I am not at all convinced of this 'infighting', but if they are, make sure they are preoccupied with themselves."
"Gotcha, boss." Nick said.
"Robert," Von Scheck then directed his attention to him, "you are to gather any piece of evidence from City Hall. Any telephone records, emails, security footage, transactions, anything that links me with you or anyone else there, and are you to destroy them. Leave no evidence behind."
"Yes, sir." Robert said.
"Report to me when you have done it." Von Scheck said. "And, report of any further break-ins by those meddling kids."
"As for Mayor Dixie," Von Scheck continued to speak to him, "make sure you neutralize her and ensure she does not interfere with our plans; that includes helping Arnold."
"Will do, sir." Robert said.
"Now that those kids lost the opportunity to hit us at City Hall, there is now only one option left for them." Von Scheck insinuated.
"Here?" Nick said.
"Exactly." Von Scheck responded. "I'm surprised that Arnold hadn't targeted this building sooner. But, whatever the reason, he will come at us, here, very soon. He now has no choice. My only concern now is when and the method. So, until we know, we cannot afford to loosen our guard now. Now is the time to be more vigilant and aware of any suspecting movements that he or his friends might make. He will fight tooth and nail for his neighbourhood and just as any desperate creature with their backs to the wall, it will cause him to make mistakes. And, when he does, that's when we'll get him." He said as he made an evil smile.
"Right you are, boss." Nick agreed.
"Have good evening, gentlemen." Von Scheck then said to them, confirming that their meeting had now been adjourned.
Both Nick and Robert then showed themselves out, closing the door behind them.
As his subordinates left his office, Von Scheck turned to face the window, which by now the Sun had set and it was growing dark. That was a good way to put how he was feeling at that moment; aggravated and anxious, much more now then before the meeting. The news that Nick and Robert brought hadn't alleviated any of his worries. It did the exact opposite; it only confirmed what he had already been suspecting, and this infighting between Arnold and Rodrigo only served to make Von Scheck more paranoid than ever. He didn't buy it one bit.
Rubbish! He thought.
Nevertheless, everything pinpointed to an inevitable clash between him and his 'worthy' foe, right where he met his first defeat; the FTI building. It was not only the center of his own operations, but also the source of Arnold's woes and fears. Here was the nerve center of a destructive force that was trying to take everything Arnold held dear to him; his memories of where he grew up. Whether it was sooner or later, Arnold will eventually target his headquarters; of that he was certain. He had to. Von Scheck only just needed to continue on being highly alert.
Unlike Nick or Robert, Von Scheck had tap into Arnold's psychology and had found something that he could use to his advantage. Although he knew very little about Arnold's life away from Hillwood, much less the emotional state Arnold had been feeling for the past months, he nevertheless assumed quite correctly that Arnold must have missed his neighbourhood very much, enough for him to continue keeping contact with his friends, as well as to visit them. The memories of his friends while he grew up, where he went to school to learn about life, his first date, his grandparents, all of those cherished memories that Von Scheck was eagerly awaiting to destroy. He knew that targeting that delicate part of Arnold will entice him to be rash and thereby, make mistakes. If what Nick said was true, then Arnold had already committed his first blunder, although Von Scheck could not be sure if this infighting was indeed genuine. He had previously underestimated that kid; he would not do it again!
As Von Scheck continued to stare at the growing darkness that was now permeating outside, he remained optimistic that the next day would bring him some peace of mind, as it would be one step closer to reaching his ultimate goal.