Chapter Eleven: Inside Job

Kaori stood on the balcony of Veronica's flat, looking into the window before carefully using a few tools to unlock the door and quietly slide it open. She smirked as the door quietly closed behind her and she looked around cautiously.

She made her way down the small hall and saw the soft glow of a lamp flooding from the bedroom. She peered in to see Veronica asleep and pulled out a small syringe, prepping it before walking in quietly.

As she approached Veronica a dark shadow moved quickly as the cat form jumped onto the bed and hissed, causing Veronica to wake with a start.

"You!" Veronica spoke before leaping out the bed.

The shadows around the room began to waver and move as Veronica took a defensive stance.

"Here I was hoping this would be easy…" Kaori smiled "Fight all you want, you're coming with me. The Doctor wants to meet you."

Veronica stared at the villain, her mind racing 'So there is a group, or at least one larger villain in play…' she thought as she let one of her tendrils lash out to the woman 'This… this might be a great way to get information… from the inside…' she thought as another tendril lashed at the woman.

Kaori dodged the attacks and lunged over the bed, the needle out "Is that all you got?" she laughed.

"Hardly!" Veronica leapt out of the way and the shadows wrapped a tendril around the girls' wrist. She smiled as the syringe dropped 'Probably a sedative… She likely has a backup… but I can play this off… get inside… Sho is going to kill me…' she thought again. She moved towards the villain "Now look who's caught." she smiled.

"Am I though?" the woman smirked devilishly, with one smooth motion Kaori pulled out a second syringe and stabbed it into Veronica's arm.

The effects worked fast as she fell to her knees and the shadows let go "Damn you…" she uttered as the room grew hazy. She saw familiar purple eyes in the shadow and before fully blacking out she concentrated on them 'Don't… Go get… Sho…' she thought before everything went dark.

Veronica's eyes slowly opened, blurred as she blinked and tried to figure out where she was. Bright light surrounded her in the small room, making it impossible for any sort of shadow to survive. She squinted as she struggled against the ropes that held her hands behind her back. Another cloth was tied tightly around her face, making it impossible for her to yell. Instead she tried to look around the room and take in as much information as she could.

The room she was in was small, the lights emitting a soft white glow from all sides. The hinges in the corner hinted at the fact the room was more a temporary shell. A prison designed just for her.

The door slid open as the woman villain walked it "Oh good, you're awake…" she ripped off the gag and knelt down.

"You know, if you were going to tie me up, you could have at least bought me dinner first." Veronica narrowed her eyes.

"Still feisty I see…" she pulled her hand back, swinging it and contacting Veronica's left cheek. The audible slap ringing in the box as Veronica was knocked onto her side.

"Who are you anyway!?" Veronica spat, her cheek red and stinging now.

"You can call me Nightmare." she tilted her head at the toppled villain "Don't worry, the doctor will be here soon enough…" she smiled before standing and making her exit, shutting the door yet again. There was a click of a lock and then silence.

"Bitch…" Veronica snarled before carefully trying to push herself back up, working again at the ropes.

"There is definitely a group, or at least, a leader. If the 'Doctor' has to come here, chances are this is a second location. They are clearly smart enough to know not to bring a hostage to their main hideout." Veronica whispered quietly to herself.

It had been about twenty minutes when the door opened and an older gentleman walked in, Veronica stopped moving immediately as she watch him. He was handsome but definitely had pain in his eyes.

"Hello Shadowcat, I'm The Doctor." he took her face roughly into his hand as he examined her "You are quite a pretty thing… shame." he let her go and paced in front of her.

"Tell me, what do you know of Eraser Head." he looked back down at her.

"I'm not telling you anything." she spoke firmly.

The Doctor clenched his fist for a brief moment before letting go and kneeling before her "You can't protect him forever you know. I will get him, and I will fix this world." his cold eyes stared into hers.

"You don't stand a chance." Veronica smirked.

The Doctor swung his hand back and cracked the back side of his hand across her right cheek, knocking her back down "Cocky heroes as always! I will get him, one way or another. He'll come and save his little lover. Then I will finally right the mistakes you heroes made!" he spoke loudly, agitated.

Veronica began laughing "You're not so smart are you Doc? Are you even really a doctor?"

"What's so funny!?" he grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her to face him.

"You think I'm that man's lover?! That's hilarious. He's not going to come and save me, I'm nothing. I just moved here… I'm expendable… looks like you made a fatal miscalculation." she laughed in his face.

"Kaori!" he yelled before he violently threw Veronica to the ground, the box shaking as a result of the force. He looked back at Veronica "I don't make mistakes!" he spat before leaving in a huff.

Veronica forced herself back up, blood now running from her lip and down her chin. She shook her head "More than you realize." she smirked.

Veronica began to go over everything in her head and all the information she so easily gathered without even having to ask. She learned more in the last hour then she could have with a week's worth of research on the outside. Now she just had to get out of here and report back.

When she finally managed to free her hands, a mist began to fall from the top of the box "What the…" she looked up before quickly covering her mouth and nose. She started to get drowsy again as she coughed through the thick haze 'not again…' was her last thought before darkness overcame her once more.

The Doctor found Kaori "You must have been wrong! Don't tell me you made another mistake!" he shouted as he approached her.

She put her hands up "Woah Doc, I know you're upset but we can still use her." she spoke quickly.

"Talk fast Kaori…" he growled.

"Look, we've had her for nearly two days, and no one's came. So maybe I was wrong, and they don't actually have a relationship. However, he will have to come to stop her from hurting innocents, right?" she offered "You can still weaponize her like I said!" she added.

The Doctor turned away, running his fingers over his chin as he contemplated the idea "What exactly are you proposing."

"I'll use my new enhanced quirk… it will make her lose control again. We can set her out in a busy public place, there are bound to be casualties with how her quirk reacted last time." Kaori smirked and watched The Doctor eagerly.

He turned and looked at her before finally responding "Alright… we'll have to do it fast though, someone is bound to realize she won't be at the school tomorrow." he spoke and then left the room.

"I can't wait…" Kaori laughed, running her fingers over the vials on her hip.