Author's note:
Hey, everyone, how are you all doing? I'm so sorry this update is coming to you late, however, I lost half my writing time last week. I literally got home from work at one o'clock this afternoon and have been working non-stop for the past ten hours to finish, read and edit the second chapter and do the final readthrough of the first and make the last edits.
In regards to this update, it was originally supposed to be two short interludes (about 6K words together), which I thought I would be able to write in a week, which would give me three to try and get ahead of the game again. Alas, whenever I try to do something short, such as a one-shot, things quickly spiral out of control. As a result, the first chapter grew from one scene to three and ended up over 11K words long, making it one of if not the longest chapter of the story thus far. And the second ended up just shy of 8K words, making both together almost 20K words (three times the length I'd anticipated).
At this point I need to put one of you guys into the spotlight, so say hello, Celioxa. Not only has she done two amazing drawings of Shego based off of And You And I, which I wholeheartedly encourage all of you to take two seconds to check out (see the link below), but her comment on the last chapter resulted in a significant change to the first chapter of this update. I had just written the first two paragraphs of the second scene when I read her comment and part of it caused me to think about an idea I'd toyed with. In the end, I liked the idea that much that I scrapped the two paragraphs I'd written so I could implement it. So, Celioxa, this chapter is dedicated to you and you'll know exactly what part of your comment I'm referring to when you get to the second scene. For everyone else, I'll tell you once we're done.
Anyway, please do check out Celioxa's work and if you like it, leave her a comment, as she thoroughly deserves your support. You'll find her here:
twitter com/celioxa
And the pictures of Shego specifically:
twitter com/celioxa/status/1324452689422524416/photo/1
twitter com/celioxa/status/1324452689422524416/photo/2
Just add a dot in between twitter and com, as FF won't allow me to post the links normally.
Returning to this chapter and the title: The director sat and the lines on the map, moved from side to side, is taken from the Pink Floyd song Us and Them (from The Dark Side of the Moon), with the word director replacing general. This song is about human conflict and this line a particular favourite of mine, as it absolutely nails the concept of how a small group of people who are removed from a situation, make decisions that can affect the lives of thousands. Which I felt was perfect for this chapter.
Right, that's more than enough from me for now. Thank you all so much for all the support you gave me on the last update, it is more than appreciated. So, enjoy the chapter and please do check out Celioxa's work and show her some of the love that you have all shown me over the course of this story.
Interlude: The director sat and the lines on the map, move from side to side
The office was untidy, hectic even. Reports and files, along with several newspapers were strewn across the large desk, round corner table and atop a low bookcase. On any surface that was not covered in papers, a thin layer of dust had started to gather. That was not to say that the office owner themselves should be branded unkempt or untidy, simply that they'd had zero time to clean over the past few months. That and security protocols dictated that all confidential material had to be secured before any of the domestic staff were allowed access. Needless to say, the room had not seen a cleaner in that same time period.
Dr Betty Director pinched the bridge of her nose as she turned on the large viewscreen that hung on the wall behind her desk. In five minutes, the representative from the UN Security Council would appear on the screen and expect an explanation for the current state of affairs and what plans she had in place to deal with the situation. Basically, she was about to get chewed out by her boss. She glanced at her watch; 3:55 pm. No time for a proper meal, her eyes shifted over to the coffee maker that sat in the far corner of the office, however, I can at least grab an espresso.
Rising from her chair, Betty let out a loud yawn as she crossed the room. Her stomach then growled loudly. She'd not eaten a proper meal since lunchtime yesterday; twenty-seven hours ago, or slept since two nights prior; thirty-seven hours ago. Granted the term sleep should probably be used in the loosest possible sense. For over a week now, when things quietened down enough, she'd been using the REM inducer; a device cooked up by some of GJ's more eccentric scientists. The little gadget allowed her to get the required ninety minutes of REM sleep in exactly ninety minutes, rather than across the typical seven to eight hour period. A hollow laugh echoed inside her mind as she busied herself with making a strong coffee, I can't even remember the last proper night's sleep I had. Unfortunately, she would need to find time to have one soon. One of the scientists had warned her that the REM inducer should only be used once; twice at the most, between periods of actual sleep. She'd hit five two nights ago and had been forced into a state of trying to keep the side-effects at bay.
Betty trudged back to her desk with her coffee, which contained a new personal high of six shots of espresso and a semi-stale Danish from a box Will Du had brought with him yesterday morning, at least she thought it had been yesterday. She didn't have the headspace to remember such insignificant details properly. Heaven forbid the supervillains of the world decide to take a collective half-day, so I can get some proper sleep and a decent meal. Alas, that was wishful thinking on her part. She had almost twenty full-sized teams scattered across the globe currently in action, another dozen solo operative's working on reconnaissance, her plans for Team Possible requiring immediate alteration until such a time as she got the main asset on board and to make matters ten times worse, Kim Possible herself once more AWOL. And all that was before the bombshell that had come in the early hours of the morning; Shego was once more on the loose. Betty grit her teeth at the memory of that particular piece of news getting passed to her. In a fit of rage, she'd thrown a mug across the room, shattering it against the wall; the pieces were still strewn across the floor somewhere. We didn't even manage to keep her locked up for two weeks this time! While it had been in no way her fault, she would still shoulder at least half of the blame.
Dr Director sat back down in her leather-backed chair and took a bite out of her Danish. Her stomach growled angrily at her attempt to placate it with the pastry, however, having no other choice, she ignored it. With one hand she rubbed her left temple, while her right fished around inside her drawer for some painkillers. Headaches were just one side-effect of extended use of the REM inducer and she'd had this one for three days now. Finding a bottle of Tylenol, she popped the cap, tipped two pills into her hand, then swallowed them with a mouthful of flat soda from a can on her desk. Urgh, how long has that been sitting there? She decided she didn't want to know the answer to that question and instead tried to purge the taste from her mouth with another bite of her Danish and a sip of her coffee. Her watch beeped, causing her to stiffen slightly and so she turned around to face the viewscreen. Back into hell time... she lamented; this having been the first five minutes she's had to herself since before the Shego news visage of a stern-looking woman then promptly appeared on the screen. Why did she have to pick today of all days to demand an update?
"General," she greeted with as much warmth as one could towards someone liable to roast you alive, "it's good to see you again."
"Director," the General replied stiffly, her thin patience and general disdain already palpable; never a good sign. "Let's keep this brief, shall we?"
Betty knew it was no question. Her superior wanted the clip-notes and that was it. She might as well just get me to summarise the situation in a sentence, as all I'd need is one word; Shit. "Very well, General. We had four big wins two weeks ago; with Mr Ed Lipsky, Mr Azear, Señor Senior, Junior, Miss Rockwaller, Dr Lipsky and Shego all being successfully apprehended and remanded in Global Justice custody," she said, electing to start with what little good news she had.
The General did not look remotely impressed with this news. "Tell me, Director, which of these supervillains were apprehended by Global Justice operatives?"
She bit her lip. "Dr Lipsky and Shego were both captured by Global Justice operatives at Mount St Helens." Even though she made the assertion and it was technically true, Dr Director knew it would not fly. She's about to haul me over the coals for this.
"If by captured, you mean handcuffed and loaded into the back of a helicopter after they had both been placed on a silver platter for you, then I suppose you are correct," the General sneered. "However, I seem to have found myself in a strange position where I'd find more truth if I read the national tabloids than I'm getting from you." The woman paused for a moment to allow her scathing words to sink in. "Why don't you try again, Director. How many of your big wins were operations carried out by Global Justice operatives?"
The stare Dr Director found herself faced with made her feel like the General was hammering nails into her singular eye. At this rate, I'll be lucky to get out of this one alive. She forced herself to hold the woman's gaze. "None of them. They were all apprehended by Kim Possible and bar Dr Lipsky and Shego, who were arrested directly by Global Justice, all of them were turned over to us by local law enforcement."
"So, it seems that Miss Kimberly Ann Possible is not just outperforming your top agents, but virtually your entire organisation." The sheer volume of displeasure in the General's tone was almost enough to fill Betty's entire office, leaving little space for the torrent she knew would surely come when she delivered the bad news. "Why don't we move on, Director. What is the current state of affairs?"
Betty sighed internally, might as well get this over with. "To be frank, General, the situation at present is becoming dire. Supervillain attacks continue to climb, penitentiaries capable of holding those we capture are in short supply across the globe and Global Justice is stretched to its limits," and Kim Possible has gone AWOL again! She left that last point unsaid. It was embarrassing enough that a freelancer had been outclassing her top agents since she was sixteen, let alone admitting that the situation quickly spiralled out of control whenever Kim Possible vanished for more than a couple of days. That fact aside, she could go into excruciating levels of detail about every single issue her organisation faced at present, but it would make no difference. It all boiled down to one thing, "I need more resources… a lot more resources."
The scowl that immediately formed on the General's face told her that this news had once again not gone down well and that no extra resources would be forthcoming any time soon. "As I have repeatedly told you, Director, few countries have either the individuals or equipment of the calibre you require and those that do are reluctant to part with them…"
…and the UN does not currently have the authority to make them… Betty tuned out for a moment as she took a sip of her coffee, having heard this exact same spiel more times than she wished to count. Countries will hoard their own resources but then bitch to the UN that Global Justice didn't deal with this threat or that incident when they fail to handle it themselves.
"…besides, you assured the Security Council that your manpower deficit would significantly decrease upon the immediate enlistment of Miss Kimberly Ann Possible into the Global Justice fold and then be eliminated once the Team Possible project had been up and running for six months to a year."
Dr Director had to force herself to not start chewing on her lip. She'd been dreading the point where the subject of bringing the infuriating hero into Global Justice cropped up. At the last full meeting of the Security Council, she had presented the plan for the Team Possible project, had it wholeheartedly endorsed and been given the clearance to offer Kim pretty much anything she wanted if she agreed to it. In terms of her personal job security, it had been a big win, but hinged on a single issue; getting Kim Possible to agree to join Global Justice. Unfortunately, the hero had not even been willing to negotiate the terms of her recruitment and continued employment, rather once again flat out refused the offer. Now the bulk of Betty's hard work was about to come crashing down all around her.
"There's been a slight snag with the Team Possible project." She sighed and knew that hiding the truth would only come back to bite her on the ass sooner rather than later, "and a second as a result of it."
The General looked pointedly at her and Dr Director could imagine an effigy of herself in the woman's hand, a slight increase in pressure away from being turned to dust. "Two snags?"
Betty drew a slow breath in through her teeth. She's going to find out sooner or later. "It is proving difficult to convince Miss Possible to join Global Justice."
"In other words, she flat out rejected your offer," the General interjected, expertly cutting through the sugar-coating Betty had tried to put on the issue. "And the second snag?"
"Since I spoke with her, Miss Possible has largely been absent from the field," Dr Director replied. "I have a report suggesting that she was searching for some missing cargo last week, but that has been the extent of her activities since the incident at Mount St Helens, as far as we are aware." While she hated to admit it, Global Justice often had a hard time finding out about the hero's activities until after the events had been reported by the media. Granted, that could probably be put down to a lack of resources available with which to track her.
Much to her surprise, the General looked ponderous, rather than infuriated, like she had expected this news. "Let me ask you a simple question, Director. Is it your professional opinion that bringing Miss Kimberly Ann Possible into the Global Justice fold will be the key to quashing this uncontrollable surge in super-villainy and restoring some semblance of order to the world?"
Dr Director frowned, since when is she interested in my opinion and why such a strong focus on Kim? She didn't have time to deduce her superior's motives as an answer would be expected immediately. "There are several other avenues we can…"
The General swiftly cut her off, "a simple yes or no, Director."
While there were other options on the table, such as granting the UN the power to force the hands of its member states when it came to parting with resources, Betty had drawn up the plan for the Team Possible project because she'd strongly believed it had the greatest chance of success. "Yes," she answered after a moment's hesitation.
"Then perhaps it is time the issue was brought before the Security Council for debate, including, if needs be, the use of more forceful recruitment methods," the General said and Betty could just make out a slight curl at the corners of the woman's mouth.
"What do you mean by 'more forceful methods'?" she quickly asked, wishing to know exactly what she had just inadvertently attached her name to.
"It seems to me that for two years now, you have been trying and failing to use a carrot to coax a stubborn mule into the stable. Perhaps it is time we tried using a stick instead."
"What exactly are you considering?" Dr Director demanded, sensing that her superior already had a fully formed plan in mind. What the hell have I given my approval for? While she herself was determined to see Kim Possible in a Global Justice uniform and would happily exert certain pressures on the girl, there were limits to how far she would be willing to go to make it happen.
"For now, that is not your concern, Director. Just remember that all decisions taken by the Security Council are for the greater good," a brief pause, "and I'll remind you to watch your tone in future when addressing a superior," the General warned.
Dr Director chose to swallow a barbed comment about how she had every right to know what plans her name had just been attached to, for she did not need a reprimand about her tone to know that she currently skated on some very thin ice in regards to her position at Global Justice. "Understood, General. In the meantime, I have an alternate avenue that I intend to take the Team Possible project down, which will hopefully still help to improve the situation until such a time as I can convince Kim to join us," she said, using the word intend as a way to try and exert some shred of control over the situation.
"Very well, Director, you may spare me the details… for now," the General replied dismissively. "Before I go, there is one more matter that I wish to discuss. Would you care to enlighten me as to what you intend to do about last night's jailbreak?"
Bastard! Betty swore internally. How on earth does she know about that already? It only happened fifteen hours ago and I only found out twelve! So much for trying to keep that one from her while we try to recapture Shego. "I have a meeting with Captain Brook's to discuss the particulars of that incident scheduled for straight after we are done, General. Rest assured, when Shego surfaces, we will recapture her."
"Be sure that you do. The last thing we need is for that," the General paused briefly and Betty suspected she had just forced herself to swallow a much stronger word to describe Shego, "woman to take it into her head that she's going to have a crack at world domination while Dr Lipsky is still in jail."
"You can count on it," Dr Director replied. Shit! The only way I'm going to ensure Shego is recaptured is to have Kim on standby and get her in at ground zero the moment that green-skinned freak resurfaces. And I somehow doubt she'll be willing to take my call. Fuck!
The General then fixed her with another of her nail hammering glares. "Be under no illusions, Director. While you still retain the confidence of the Security Council, their patience has its limits." The woman then somehow managed to intensify her gaze and Betty knew she now had three out of four nails firmly hammered into her own coffin. "Get this supervillain situation under control, Director. Now, if there is nothing else…"
While the invitation had been extended purely for the sake of etiquette and not so she could actually use it, Betty did not care. If her head was on the block, then she would do everything in her power to avoid that axe falling. "Is there any update regarding the proposal of Project Victor?"
"Not at this moment in time," the General replied stiffly. "The ethics of that project are still a hotly debated subject amongst the members of the Security Council, alongside any possible public backlash that might be incurred, should the proposal be approved."
It had been a longshot to hope that there had been any progress in the approval of Project Victor. While it would undeniably help bring an end to the current global crisis, she suspected the situation would have to deteriorate further before the council were willing to approve it. "Understood, General."
"Rest assured, Director, if the time comes that it is deemed to be for the greater good, I'm sure the opposing members of the council will be persuaded into changing their stance."
That's what I'm afraid of… While her scientists had developed the technology for medical purposes, she'd saw the alternate use for it and drawn up the plan as a sort of last resort solution to the current crisis. And she'd known full well the ethical dilemma it posed, even found herself somewhat against its implementation. However, the Security Council had been demanding solutions to consider and she'd little else to offer at the time (the Team Possible project having not been formulated by that point). …but I'm getting desperate. "Understood, General."
"Good day, Director," the woman said, finally releasing her gaze.
"Good day, General," Dr Director said, just before the screen went blank.
Letting out a long sigh, Betty took a long drink of her coffee and finished the last of her pastry, before turning the monitor off and pressing the intercom button on her desk. "Lieutenant, please send Captain Brooks in," she said, her voice now far wearier than it had been before the conversation with her superior. I need to get some proper sleep tonight.
##
The late afternoon sun had still been blazing overhead when Captain Brooks had parked her classic Shelby Mustang GT500 outside an abandoned gas station and taken the transport tube down into Global Justice HQ. Arriving in a foul mood, she'd been met by some fawning lackey, who'd bleated and babbled about how much of an honour it was to meet her until she'd commanded him to be silent. He'd quickly got the message when she'd pierced his gaze with her own and told him to, "shoo." She'd then promptly made her way to the restroom.
The Captain stood in front of the mirror and looked herself up and down. Tall and slender, Brooks had well-toned muscles, long brown hair that she wore in a tight knot, thin lips and pointed features; with grey eyes that pierced everything her gaze fell upon. And even she had not slept since the night before, it did not show in her appearance. I despise those transport tubes. They're so unhygienic. Needless to say, the forced trip through the high-speed tube had only darkened her gaze zeroed in on a singular brown hair that a gust of air from inside the tube had loosed from the knot. Grrr, she growled internally and quickly undid the entire thing. It infuriated her no end that someone had seen her looking so unkempt. Expertly, she took command over her long tresses and forced each and every strand back to where they belonged. Brooks returned her gaze to the mirror and quickly found the next offender; she'd lost an eyebrow hair on the right-hand side. Her hand quickly reached into one of her belt pouches and withdrew a small manicure set. Removing a pair of tweezers, she plucked a solitary hair from her left eyebrow so that it once more matched the other. Her badge and pips then received minute adjustments on her still pristine uniform, before a glance at her shirt sleeves revealed the offending eyebrow hair. Deftly, she grasped it with the tweezers and cast it aside. With one more intense stare at her reflection, she packed away the manicure kit, that should do it. She then strode out of the restroom.
The command centre of Global Justice HQ was a hive of activity. Agents in grey uniforms were gathered around multiple tabletop digital maps, arguing furiously in their little groups, while others were stood with hands pressed against earpieces, as they relayed intel and instruction to operatives in the field. There were clutches of scientists in white lab coats too, debating solutions to problems with complex equations on digital whiteboards and holographic simulations of the outcomes. Then there were the runners; new recruits who had not yet earned their stripes, scurrying through the crowds, relaying messages here, there and everywhere, as they tried to absorb every aspect of the processes that were going on around them.
Captain Brooks surveyed this hotbed of chaos for a moment before letting out a snort of disdain, such pandemonium. Things certainly would not operate this way on my watch. Slicing through the mayhem, she made her way towards the stairs and up to the director's office. Her piercing gaze roved over the waiting area, lingering on the Director's frazzled looking personal assistant, who seemed to be trying to conduct three calls and juggle information on two different computer screens all at the same time. The Captain strode up to the man's desk, casting her imposing shadow over him. While she knew him by face, she had never bothered to learn his name. "Lieutenant," she said sharply.
The Lieutenant froze mid-sentence and his gaze sheepishly rose to meet hers. "C… Captain Brooks!" he said in alarm, even though he must have known she had been coming.
"The Director is expecting me at four-fifteen pm," she replied and impaled his gaze with her own. "It is exactly four-fifteen pm."
The Lieutenant's tone was almost fearful as he said, "she's still in a meeting..."
Brooks' lips thinned as she glared at the man, her expression alone enough to convey that this was not a suitable reason for any delay, given that she had arrived bang on time.
"…with the General of the UN Security Council," the man hastily added, his tone clearly saying that he was praying this would be enough to placate her. "If you have a seat, I'm sure she'll be ready for you shortly."
The General of the Security Council. Oh dear, Elizabeth. I somehow doubt that's to commend you for a job well done. The Captain held the man's gaze for several seconds, feigning contemplation over whether she should devour him, before replying, "very well, Lieutenant. You may carry on."
Brooks turned on her heel and surveyed the set of three chairs that sat on the opposite wall. A girl, dressed in blue denim shorts, a white Micky Mouse halter top that showed off her midriff, with a pair of red braces and a pair of Converse; one red, one green, sat in the middle chair. Her long hair had been dyed crimson and hung freely down her back. The Captain stiffened when a translucent pink bubble inflated from the girl's lips and then popped. How revolting. Elizabeth is scraping the bottom of the barrel if this is the sort of individual she's bringing on board. She shot the girl a look of disapproval before averting her gaze; electing to remain where she stood.
The minutes ticked by, during which Captain Brooks was subjected to a series of continued pops from the girl and her gum. Each one grated on a temper already frayed by last night's jailbreak. The vein in her temple began to throb when the first whistle reached her ears. Loud and obnoxious, it reeked of someone purposefully trying to irritate her. She remained poker-straight; eyes fixed dead ahead, however, her lips had pursed. I will not throttle her, I will not throttle her… The random notes suddenly morphed into a tune and Brooks fists clenched. Can she get anymore… her thought process stopped dead in its tracks as the realisation of what tune the girl was whistling dawned on her; The Great Escape. Anger coursed through her faster than electricity in a wire and caused all her fuses to simultaneously blow. She did not know how the girl knew that Shego had escaped her custody, just that she did; the tune being far too coincidental. In a fit of blind rage, her head snapped around and she bellowed, "WILL YOU SHUT UP!"
The savage assault, which had reduced grown men twice her size to tears in the past, seemed to have no effect on the girl. Instead, a broad grin spread across her face. "Hey," she said in a voice so upbeat that it clashed horribly with the general tired and downtrodden mood that hung over the entirety of Global Justice HQ. Then, in the blink of an eye, the girl sprang to her feet; crossing the distance between them and held out a hand. "I'm Quinn."
The girl's movements had been so fast that Captain Brooks almost missed them. However, she was not one to startle easily and so did not even flinch. Her expression of fury morphed into a sneer and she looked at the offered hand in disgust, I'm not touching that, I've no idea where it's been. "Sit down, Girl, and stop making a nuisance of yourself," she snapped sharply.
"Ouch," Quinn said and feigned a wince, "someone's tetchy. Although I suppose I'd be a bit tetchy too if I'd let a supervillain like Shego slip through my fingers."
Captain Brooks' fingernails dug into her palms and as she struggled to get her temper back under control. Through gritted teeth, she spat, "that is none of your concern, you little upstart."
Quinn was practically bouncing on the balls of her feet when she airily replied, "I prefer the term up and coming." The girl blew another bubble with her gum. "Who knows, maybe I'll be the one sending you Shego next time."
That comment did little to improve the Captain's sour mood. "I don't care who catches her!" however, when I get a hold of her and her accomplice, I'm going to throw both of them into the cooler for a month!
"Maybe you should," Quinn said with a grin. "You want her caught and I want to catch her." The girl's amber eyes then lit up like a pair of floodlights. "Hey, you and I should totally team up! We could be like…"
"Most certainly not!" Captain Brooks cut in. "I don't know who you think you are, but in Global Justice, you will show respect to your superiors."
"I already told you who I am, silly." Without warning, the girl did a backflip and landed perfectly back in her chair. "And I guess it's a good thing I'm a freelancer then."
Captain Brooks said nothing as she studied the strange girl again. While this upstart must have some degree of skill to merit a chair outside this particular office, it seems things are worse than I feared, if Elizabeth has resorted to calling in freelancers this uncouth. Indeed, the manner in which she has leant on little Miss Kim Possible in the past is bad enough. When I'm…
Brooks was drawn out of her musings by the voice of the Lieutenant, "Captain, the Director will see you now."
She shot the man a look that said, "it's about time," and strode towards the door. She'd just taken hold of the handle, when she heard Quinn sing-song, "had more than I can take, Jailbreak!"
In a fit of rage, Captain Brooks practically wrenched the door off its hinges and slammed it shut behind her.
In front of her, Dr Director rose from her chair. "Claudia, it is good to see you again," the woman said and extended her hand towards her.
"Elizabeth," Brooks replied sharply and took the offered hand in a vice-like grip. Her lip curled slightly when Dr Director stiffened. She never did like being called by her full name. Her gaze then roved over the woman, taking in her dishevelled appearance, pale complexion and slightly bloodshot and sleep-deprived eye. Only by her leave did she allow the Director to take her hand back.
"Please, make yourself comfortable," Elizabeth then said and rather presumptuously, given that the Captain could see an almost full mug on her desk, headed towards her coffee maker. "Would you like a coffee?"
Captain Brooks' nose wrinkled as she surveyed the chaotic mess that was the Director's office and the chair in front of the desk. She and Elizabeth Director had been both friends and rival's during their time as Global Justice cadets. Yet she had never before seen the woman's quarters or workspace look so chaotic. The burden of command must weigh heavy on you indeed, if you've allowed your standards to slip this far, Elizabeth. Gingerly, she sat down, feeling somewhat surprised that the chair covering had not squelched.
"You seemed slightly frazzled when you entered, Claudia," Dr Director said as she walked back over to the desk and set a mug down in front of her. "I hope nothing has aggravated you since your arrival."
The Captain glanced at the large; saucerless mug and turned up her nose. She never did know how to brew proper coffee. She then locked onto the Director's single eye with a penetrating gaze. "You look rather tired, Elizabeth," she retorted. "I hope nothing has aggravated your sleep-deprived state."
The manner in which Dr Director's lips thinned told Brooks that the point would be conceded. While the other woman could poke her over her altercation with Quinn, that would be nothing when compared to the potential salvos she herself had just acquired from her simple observations of the Director and her unkempt office. Needless to say, the conversation swiftly moved on to the matter at hand. "What the hell happened, Claudia? We got a much-needed big win a week past Saturday; when we recaptured Dr Lipsky and Shego. However, less than two weeks later, the latter has escaped... again! And has made Global Justice a laughing stock!"
Don't forget that it has also lowered the value of your stock, Captain Brooks thought as she listened to the unsaid accusation that Shego's escape had been solely her fault. I'll wager the General gave you a serious reprimand over the whole affair. Internally, she clenched a fist and hit it against a wall, feeling the metaphorical throb in her hand. Unfortunately, my reputation will have taken an equal hit. She indicated the computer terminal on the Director's desk and said in a cold, emotionless voice, "may I?"
"By all means," Dr Director replied and passed the wireless mouse across the desk.
The captain removed a pen drive from a pouch on her belt and inserted it into the computer tower. Opening the relevant file, she cast the image to large viewscreen behind the Director's desk. Rising to her feet, she picked up a laser pointer and shone the small dot at a CCTV image of her penitentiary. "The inmate was housed here; in cellblock D. An analysis of the data from our systems suggests that the initial security breach occurred at 00:48 am."
Elizabeth had turned her chair around so she could look at the viewscreen, meaning Brooks could no longer see her face. "Initial security breach?" the woman asked, her tone containing an accusatory bite. "That suggests to me that you had multiple opportunities to discover that someone had infiltrated your complex."
Captain Brooks allowed the comment to slide and continued, "a highly sophisticated hacking device was used to shut down the laser grid between the outer and inner prison walls; on the eastern side of the complex, for about forty-five seconds." She changed the camera feed. "We believe that the infiltrator crossed between the walls in that short timeframe. After which they traversed the yard and scaled the eastern wall of the facility; completely undetected by any of our sensors."
"Another hack job?" Dr Director asked.
"No. As far as we can tell, only the laser grid was hacked until the perpetrator arrived outside the convict's cell." The captain changed the feed so that it showed the inside of a cell. Two individuals could be seen lying asleep in the bunks. She then superimposed two photographs on the left-hand side of the screen. The first showed the cell window with the bars missing and the second the bars themselves. "The second breach occurred at 00:50 am. The forcefield surrounding the window to the convict's cell was deactivated and the camera inside fed a loop. The bars on the cell window were then cut using a high-precision tool that my staff believe was some form of laser."
The concern in Elizabeth's tone was palpable when she said, "it seems whoever did this is both extremely skilful and well equipped."
"It gets worse," Captain Brooks growled, unable to hide the anger and humiliation she felt in regards to the incident.
"Worse!" Dr Director exclaimed. "How can it get worse?"
"The infiltrator led the convict out of her cell and down into the yard." Brooks changed the feed again so that it showed the prison yard and then switched it to thermal vision. "It took my analysts hours' worth of work before they finally found this." She pressed play.
"I don't see anything."
"Neither did the guards watching the monitors at the time," Captain Brooks replied and then zoomed in.
"Wait, is that a…"
"Yes, a heat signature, albeit a very faint one," Brooks confirmed. "So far, it is the only way we have been able to detect what we assume is the convict. However, there has been no way to detect the infiltrator yet."
"So, not only did our perpetrator avoid detection by all of your sensors, but they brought something with them that made the convict almost as undetectable," Dr Director said and the Captain did not need to see her face to know that the woman was grimacing. "I don't like this, Claudia. This footage, or lack thereof, confirms that there is a supervillain out there with technology that rivals that of Global Justice."
"Perhaps, Elizabeth," Brooks said coldly.
Not seeming to have been listening to her, the Director then suddenly hammered her fist down on the arm of her chair. "Dammit! Our superior technology is one of the few advantages we have left over these hordes of supervillains! If technology that rivals ours becomes commonplace amongst our enemies, we're sunk."
The corners of the Captain's lips turned upwards slightly. My, my, I don't think I've ever heard her sound so worried or even suggest that we might lose this on-going struggle. Are you becoming weary, Elizabeth? Is it perhaps time you set aside your heavy crown? "As I was saying," Brooks then said, bringing the conversation back to the matter at hand, "the infiltrator led the convict, undetected, across the yard and up onto the inner wall. The laser grid was then sabotaged again and they crossed to the outer wall. However…"
"However?" Dr Director cut in, her tone conveying that she already disliked where this was headed.
"However, at 01:17 am, one of my guards looked into the convict's cell and discovered that the bars were missing from the window. An immediate search revealed her to be gone and so the alarm was raised." Captain Brooks changed the camera feed to the outer wall. "When the alarm is triggered, the voltage across the razor wire atop both walls is increased ten-fold. At the precise moment this occurred, there was an immediate discharge here." She played the footage, which showed a large blue spark and above the noise of the sirens, a small explosion could be heard."
Dr Director leapt to her feet. "That should have killed them!"
"Yes, it should have," the Captain agreed.
When Elizabeth turned around her face was contorted in fury. "I did not give you permission to use anything that would be lethal to an inmate in order to prevent an escape!" she yelled; her singular eye ablaze.
"It wasn't lethal," Captain Brooks replied smoothly, completely unphased by the harsh reprimand.
"You were not to know that the individual that got caught in your death trap would be equipped to survive it!" the Director spat viciously.
"It's of little consequence, Elizabeth. The fact of the…"
Dr Director cut her off, "I'll decide if it is of consequence!" The woman then threw her hands into the air and shook her head. "Dammit, Claudia, the last thing we need right now is a fatality at your facility. An escape is bad enough."
Captain Brooks stood; unphased as she watched the Director began to furiously rub her left temple and let out a slow, deliberate breath. Once seemingly calm, the woman then said, "ok, so the infiltrator must have been wearing some sort of suit that protected them from the shock, continue."
"We do not know how, but not only did the infiltrator and the convict avoid hitting the minefield, they managed to clear the outer wall without discharging the razor wire a second time," Captain Brooks said before changing the video feed again. "Once outside the wall, they followed this path," she superimposed a line on the screen. "By this point, I had mobilised my forces and was searching for them both inside and outside the facility. I personally led the fleet of jeeps started searching the outside. We converged on the eastern side of the wall and drove out into the desert." She paused the video when Shego appeared on the screen. "We're not sure what happened, but the convict briefly became visible and I watched with my own eyes as she climbed into a cloaked vehicle."
Dr Director sounded more than a little irritated when she said, "let me guess…"
"…we were unable to apprehend them and have had zero luck in finding any trace of the vehicle with any of our sensors," Captain Brooks finished for her."
"DAMMIT!" Dr Director roared; her fists now clenched. "Is there anything that might give us a clue as to who is responsible for breaking Shego out or where they might have taken her?"
"I have a theory," the Captain said carefully, although in my mind I'm sure of it.
"Have at it," Elizabeth sighed, as she lowered herself back into her chair and took a sip from her coffee mug.
"This was picked up by the microphone closest to the sight of and not long after the infiltrator and convict discharged the razor wire." Captain Brooks played the audio file. While the soundscape was dominated by the noise of the prison sirens…
"Is that a voice?" Dr Director asked and sat bolt upright.
"Correct, Elizabeth. It's the convict's voice. While it is difficult to make out over the noise of the sirens, I had my people isolate it as best they could."
She played the second audio file. While it was still somewhat difficult to discern, Shego's voice could be heard yelling, "Ki…" She then played it several more times before locking onto the Director's gaze. "Elizabeth, I believe that the convict was in the process of uttering the name of the infiltrator," she paused for a moment and then in her most serious voice said, "Kim. As in Kim Possible."
The captain watched as the Director's jaw almost hit her desk. Unfortunately, the shock was by no means in her favour. "Have you completely taken leave of your senses, Claudia!" the woman uttered in complete astonishment. "If I did not know you, I would have said you were trying to make a joke… Do you know how completely ridiculous… no, insane that theory is?"
Captain Brooks' lips pursed. And there she goes; immediately rising to the defence of the prissy girl that thinks she's too good to join Global Justice. I'll be lucky if she even allows me to explain my reasoning. "I know you think it sounds impossible, but I have every reason to suspect that it was Kim Possible who broke the convict out last night," she said, her voice unwavering from her standpoint.
"Kim Possible is the very reason Shego was captured in the first place!" Elizabeth replied hotly.
"That may be so, but she showed up at my facility to see the convict on Monday," Brooks fired back, her temper beginning to rise. "I spoke to her and she was not in the least bit enamoured with the methods we use to try and keep the convict incarcerated. Methods which you signed off on I might add. Don't you find it at least slightly suspicious that the following night, a well-equipped; highly skilled individual breaks into my facility and frees her? "
"I refuse to believe that Kim Possible had anything to do with this!" Elizabeth roared and slammed her fist on the desk. "While she and I may not see eye to eye, she has never given me any reason to doubt her commitment to bringing supervillains to justice. For fuck sake, Claudia, the girl's record has been impeccable since she was sixteen. I've lost count of how many different supervillains she's sent to jail or how many times Dr Lipsky and Shego have been apprehended because of her."
"Which is why you are so blinded to the evidence in front of you, Elizabeth!" Brooks shot back.
"What evidence!"
"Kim Possible shows up at my facility to see the convict and is determined that Shego be shown leniency," Brooks reiterated, however, before the Director could respond, continued, "the following night someone with an advanced hacking tool, a personal cloaking device that cannot be detected by any of our sensors, a high precision laser cutter, a suit capable of surviving an exceptionally large electric shock and a cloaked vehicle, breaks the convict out and escapes with her. Who else do you know of, hero or villain, that has that amount of advanced technology and the skills to back it up? Not to mention that we can clearly hear the convict shout Kim…"
"She could have been shouting Killigan for all we know!" Dr Director retorted furiously. It seemed her patience had finally worn out. "Dr Lipsky has cloaking technology, as does Professor DeMenz and HenchCo have been selling portable laser cutters for ten a penny for three years now at least! You have nothing that links Kim Possible to Shego's escape! End of story!"
"I will once you arrest her and allow me to interrogate her," Brooks barked, completely incensed that her old friend could not see the woods for the trees.
"HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY INSANE, CLAUDIA!" Dr Director bellowed, her tone a strange mix of fury and sheer disbelief. "Do you know what will happen if I arrest Kim Possible?"
"I'll be able to prove to you that she's guilty."
"No!" Elizabeth yelled forcefully and then pinched the bridge of her nose in a grip that, from Captain Brooks' perspective, looked like it should have broken it. "At present, relations between Kim Possible and Global Justice are at an all-time low, exemplified by the fact that she's virtually been AWOL since I spoke with her after we captured Dr Lipsky and Shego."
"And why would that cause her to go AWOL?" the Captain interjected, somewhat curious as to what Elizabeth had done to piss the hero off so much.
Dr Director sighed, "we had an argument after I presented the plan for the Team Possible project to her and she point-blank refused to entertain it. She threatened to take a month's holiday if Global Justice did not back off and leave her alone. I think this may be her way of demonstrating that she's not bluffing."
"You should never have allowed the situation to get to the stage where you were so reliant on some freelancer, Elizabeth," Brook's chastised. I would never have allowed it to get to this stage.
"I've had no choice, Claudia!" Dr Director barked and slammed her fist on the desk again. "The Security Council ignored my warnings and refused to push for a motion that would have given me the resources I needed to tackle this crisis. Now individual nations are digging in their heels when it comes to turning over personnel and equipment to us. However, that is beside the point. If I even so much as accuse Kim Possible of something that serious, without incontrovertible proof, she could go AWOL for god knows how long."
Which will create a spiralling situation beyond your control, Elizabeth, and one that almost certainly will see you ousted as the head of Global Justice. You can survive the fallout of Shego escaping, but not of losing the support Kim Possible provides you. Knowing that nothing she said would convince the Director to do something that could easily lead to her own firing, Captain Brooks yanked her pen drive out of the computer tower. "If you're not willing to see what's plainly in front of you, Elizabeth, then I think we're done here."
Turning on her heel, she stalked towards the door, however, Dr Director called out after her, "Claudia, do not, under any circumstances, do anything that might antagonise Kim Possible." The Captain took another step before her old friend added, "that's an order, Claudia!"
Without turning around, Captain Brooks uttered, "understood, Sir," her tone dripping with contempt. If I have my way, that's the last order you'll ever give me in person. Throwing the door open, she strode out of the office, knocking it closed behind her.
She had almost made it to the other door when a voice sing-songed, "well, that sounded fun."
Captain Brooks turned and caught sight of the infuriatingly chirpy figure of Quinn. After her argument with Dr Director, she'd almost forgotten about the altercation with the freelancer that had preceded it. Staring daggers at the girl, she was about to rip her a new one for being so disrespectful to a Global Justice captain, when a thought struck her. She might be obnoxious and disrespectful, but if Elizabeth has tied my hands, the same will go for any other member of Global Justice… which she is not. However, she must have done something to get Elizabeth's attention... She glanced around and saw the lieutenant was not at his post. She was alone with the time to sit down and weigh up the pros and cons of the situation, Brooks decided to take a cautious gamble. "You said you wanted to catch Shego, correct?" she asked the bouncy girl.
A broad grin spread across Quinn's face. "See, I knew you'd want to team up with me!"
"Quiet," the Captain hissed and quickly strode over to stand in front of the girl. Reaching into one of the pouches on her belt, she pulled out a card with her details on it. "If you think the Director is failing to put your talents to good use, come pay me a visit."
Quinn took the card and somewhat impressively, made it vanish. "Will Du," she said and her grin somehow widened.
"However, breathe one word of this conversation to the Director and you'll lose your chance, as she's insistent on bringing Kim Possible in to do the job," Brooks then said in a low voice, more as a way to try and elicit the girl's cooperation than to protect herself, for she did not need to do the latter. Even if the girl went into Elizabeth's office and told her about the entire exchange, it would not matter. All she'd done was enquire about whether or not a freelancer would be willing to track down one of her escaped charges; something well within her prerogative to do. She'd said nothing about her other objective.
"Aye-aye, Captain," Quinn said and gave her an overexaggerated salute.
While Brooks new the girl was not being serious, does she take anything seriously? she let it slide. Turning, she once more made her way to the stairs, however, stopped with her hand on the door handle. "What's your full name?" she then asked, upon realising that without it, she might have difficulty doing a background check on the girl. And she intended to do a very thorough background check on her before deciding whether to risk working with her.
"I'm Quinn Phy-Knight and I can do everything," Quinn replied, extending her right arm and making a peace gesture with her fingers.
"That sounds about as ridiculous as Kim Possible," Brooks said and opened the door. Just before she stepped through it, she added, "don't forget what I said, Quinn Phy-Knight," and then headed down the stairs.
At the bottom, the Captain passed the Lieutenant on his way back up but paid him no heed. Making her way through the still chaotic main operations room, she headed back to the transport tube she'd used on her way in. She had anticipated that the Director would not entertain her assertion about Kim Possible and had expected to leave Global Justice HQ in an even fouler mood than when she had arrived. Yet upon reflection, Elizabeth ignoring her might just work out in her favour. The captain left with what almost passed as a smile on her lips.
##
After the door to her office slammed shut, Betty Director rested her elbows atop her desk and put her head in her hands. Slowly she began to rub at her temples, the Tylenol having done absolutely nothing to alleviate her headache and Captain Brooks having aggravated it. I know Claudia's never been a fan of the relationship Global Justice has with Kim Possible, hell I'm not a fan of it, but to suggest she might have broken Shego out is unthinkable… impossible. She sighed deeply. I need to recapture Shego the second she pops up, but to do that I'm going to need Kim's help, as I can't spare the sheer number of operatives it would take to bring her down without her. She picked up her coffee cup and took a long, slow drink; it had gone cold. However, that's a problem for another day.
Dr Director straightened up and her gaze passed over the glass panel in her office door. She frowned on seeing Captain Brooks standing at the door that led to the stairs; her head turned and clearly mid-sentence. Who is she… her brain quickly reminded her that she still had a third individual to meet with, …oh no, Quinn! She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. If the freelancer in the waiting area had done something to piss off the Captain, she'd wind up with a lengthy report/complaint about what rules and regulations the girl had broken and what disciplinary action should be taken. Her eyes lingered on the scene for a second, yet she doesn't look angry of pissed off… she shook her head and chose to ignore it. If a scathing report concerning Quinn landed on her desk, she'd deal with it accordingly.
Letting out a loud yawn, Betty took the opportunity to make herself a new coffee, before hitting the intercom button once more. "Lieutenant, please send Miss Phy-Knight in."
A few seconds later, the door opened and the girl bounded in and before Dr Director could even say a word, had leapfrogged the empty chair and landed on it with a thud. "Betty!" Quinn exclaimed exuberantly, her lamp-like amber eyes wide. "Wazzup?"
Dr Director groaned internally at the freelancer's method of sitting down, vivacious voice, use of slang and the fact that she'd just referred to her as Betty. She had no idea how the girl had even known that was her forename. I really should have postponed this until after I'd managed to get some proper sleep. She's going to be a nightmare. A short video call; the only time she'd ever spoken to the girl before, was all it had taken for her to get the measure of Quinn. Louder than words, the eighteen-year-old was an uncouth firework of sass, with what felt like ADHD on speed and someone who would almost certainly push any button, just to see what sort of bang she could make. However, the numbers did not lie; Quinn Phy-Knight was a serious up and coming talent in the hero business. I should probably count myself lucky she didn't come in here on her damn rollerblades. She'd seen a lot of footage of the girl in action and noted that she did almost everything while zipping around on a pair of blades and without any sort of crash protection to boot.
"It's nice to finally meet you in person, Quinn. As you are already aware, I'm Dr Director; head of The Global Justice Network," Betty replied, throwing in her title on the faint hope the freelancer might muster some measure of decorum and use it, even though she already knew the girl wouldn't. She then offered her hand across the desk.
Quinn, who after saying her greeting had immediately started drumming on her knee, suddenly shot out a hand and vigorously shook the one Betty had held out. "You too, Boss Lady."
Well, she's fast and contrary to what one might think, is actually paying attention… and your classic drill sergeant's nightmare; that rare case that will keep making the sassy comments no matter what you do to them. Betty was about to offer Quinn a beverage, however, before she could even open her mouth, the girl picked up the untouched mug of coffee she'd made for Captain Brooks and took a drink.
"Blergh!" Quinn exclaimed, her face contorting into one of disgust. "Whoever brewed this should be fired out of a cannon and into the sun!"
"I made that beverage, Quinn," Dr Director said through pursed lips; unable to stop herself issuing the reprimand. Christ, I'm probably going to want to throttle her before this conversation is done. And my coffee-making skills aren't that bad!
"Well, let's get you to the cannon and blast you into space, cos your coffee is rank, Lady," Quinn said and the look in her eyes told Betty that the girl was only half-joking. "You guys have a ground to space cannon, right?"
Dr Director's lips thinned. "That's none of your concern," she said, deciding it was probably unwise to tell the girl that Global Justice now did have such a weapon. And it was a ridiculous waste of money and resources. Unfortunately, the powers that be thought a defence against a possible return of the Lorwardians was more important than the very real threat of increased supervillain activity; the fools. Nevertheless, it seemed she had been wrong, handling Quinn wasn't going to be a nightmare, it would be a nightmare born from the depths of hell. "Now, we need to get down to business," she then said, deciding that she needed to get this over with asap.
She watched as her words seemed to fall on deaf ears, the freelancer now poking at the coffee mug with a pencil. "You got a soda?" Quinn then asked and after taking a sniff of the mug and wrinkling her nose, as though the contents might somehow have changed.
"In the fridge," Betty replied wearily and pointed to the small refrigerator, "help yourself." I'm going to regret saying that, aren't I?
Quinn practically bounced out of her chair and across the room to the refrigerator, returning to her seat moments later with two cans of Pepsi and a cheese string Dr Director could not recall seeing in there. The freelancer then cracked one can open, took a long drink and then took a bite out of the cheese string. "So," the girl said with her mouth full, "what's the crack?"
Great, just what she needs, sugar plus caffeine. Betty rubbed her left temple and chose to let the liberties the girl had taken inside her refrigerator slide. This is all for the greater good. "As I told you when we last spoke, your recent activities have merited your…"
"Is this in date?" Quinn interrupted, indicating the cheese string. The comment rendered Dr Director temporarily speechless and before she had a chance to answer, the girl shrugged her shoulders, "meh," and took another bite.
"As I was saying," Betty uttered firmly through semi-gritted teeth, "your recent activities have merited you a place as a member of the Team Possible project."
"Ooh, do I get to duke it out with Kimmie Possible now?" the freelancer asked eagerly, fireworks practically exploding behind her amber eyes.
"I am afraid not," Dr Director replied, unable to keep all the bitterness she felt towards Kim from her tone. "There has been an unfortunate snag with the Project that has required a temporary rethink."
Quinn folded her arms across her chest and huffed, "awww phoey!"
"At present, we are having difficulty in agreeing terms with Kim and so the main part of the project, namely yourself and the other candidates learning from her, has been put on hold…"
"Pfft. I wanted to go girl on girl with Kimmie."
"…however," Dr Director emphasised, "I've called you in because of the six candidates, you are the only one with the right attributes for the stop-gap plan we've drawn up." And believe me, if any of the other candidates had been suitable, I would have taken them over you in a heartbeat. Internally, she shook her head. No point bemoaning my bad luck, I need to work with what I've got. Besides, her grating mannerisms aside, the numbers clearly rank her as the best of the six.
Quinn's eyes lit up again. "You want me to go tie up Kimmie Possible and drag her in for you?"
"No," Dr Director said quickly and firmly, suspecting that if she didn't, the girl would bolt to go and attempt to do just that. "I'll be tackling the problems we're having with Kim myself. I have something else in mind for you." She rooted around amidst the files on her desk until she found the one she was looking for and then held it out for the freelancer to take. "I want you to get close to this individual."
The girl looked at the file, tilted her head this way and that, ducked to look under it and then screwed up her eyes. "That doesn't look like a person, just a file with a coffee ring on it."
Dr Director pinched the bridge of her nose for what felt like the umpteenth time since her meeting with the General and shook her head. It's all just an act… surely her behaviour is all just an act… "The individual whose details are inside the file."
"Ohh," Quinn said thoughtfully, sounding very much like her airheadedness had been genuine. The girl then took the file from Betty's hand and opened it. "Ooh, he's cute, in a dorky sort of way," she exclaimed, before adding, "is he single?"
"As far as we are aware, yes." Well, that might just make life a little easier. "We're going to set up a situation that will allow you to meet him and hopefully get him to talk to you. However, the details of that can wait until after you've had a chance to read and digest his file…"
"Finished!" Quinn cut in, like she had just been the first to finish a test in school. As if to demonstrate that she had indeed read the whole thing, the girl withdrew the single sheet of paper it contained and turned the file upside down to show there was nothing else inside.
"Not quite," Betty said, a thin smile forming on her lips. She picked up a pen drive from her desk and held it out. "If I'd printed his whole file, it would have been more than half an inch thick."
"Aww man, I hate textbook work," Quinn moaned as she took the pen drive.
Betty watched as the freelancers look of disgust quickly vanished and she pulled out what looked like a heavily modified touch screen phone.
"Yo, Jade," Quinn said, completely ignoring the fact she had been mid-conversation, "I got a homework task for ya." The freelancer then plugged the pen drive into a port on her modified phone. "Give this a read for me and send me the clip-notes when you're done, will ya?"
Dr Director made a not so subtle throat-clearing gesture.
Quinn turned to look at her and lowered the phone for a moment to say, "it's Jade; my tech whiz and brainiac." She then held out the device for a moment, asked, "do you like my phy-Phone? Jade modified it for me," before returning it to her ear.
Knowing that there would be no point in trying to derail the girl, as she was like a bullet train that could zip across multiple tracks at will, Betty took the opportunity to take a long drink of her coffee. When Quinn had finished fobbing off her 'homework' to her 'brainiac' and hung up, the Director looked pointedly at her. "Read that file yourself, Quinn," she said, even though she already knew the girl would do no such thing, however, she felt the need to at least issue the order.
The freelancer drained her first can of Pepsi and opened the second. "So, does this mean you want me to join GJ?"
The thought of inducting Quinn into Global Justice sent a shiver down Dr Director's spine. While that's the long-term plan, I think I'll be keeping Team Possible as our black ops division, whose existence will be so secret that they can't possibly be allowed to be seen by the rest of the organisation… or by anyone from the Security Council. "Not at present. There are certain rules, standards and methods that Global Justice operatives must adhere to and employ, which might hinder both the task I've assigned you and the wider Team Possible project as a whole." That and sticking to them has utterly failed to produce another Kim Possible.
"Woo-hoo, no rules!"
"Back to the matter at hand, once you have met the target, I want you to befriend him in any way you can," Betty continued, feeling the need to hurry things along so she could go and eat a proper meal and catch so much needed shut-eye.
"So, he's fair game for boyfriend material?" Quinn said eagerly.
Dr Director paused for a brief moment to consider this. "That might be an ideal outcome," she said carefully, "however, do not force the issue; friendship should still suffice. If you are having difficulty with that, get creative and be persistent," something I doubt she'll have an issue with. I bet she's as persistent as a jackhammer.
Quinn gave her a wolfish grin, "aye-aye, Boss Lady."
She sighed internally, she's going to pounce on him, tell him she's now his girlfriend and then drag him around with her until he gives in, isn't she? "Once you befriend him, try and get him involved with your work. If needs be, offer to pay him for his assistance. Global Justice will cover any outlay you have to spend."
"Gotcha. Seduce, snog and shanghai."
"It would be preferable," Dr Director said, placing as much emphasis on the word as she could, "if you convinced him to work with you of his own accord, rather than shanghaiing him into your service," or your bedroom! She then fixed the girl with as piercing a stare from her one eye as her sleep-deprived state would allow.
"Urgh, fine, I'll play nice, but you better not sap anymore of the fun out of it, " Quinn pouted.
I'll take that as a win. "Glad to hear it. I'll be in touch once the arrangements have been made for you to meet the target. Until then, busy yourself with reading that file, as it contains everything you should need to know in order to succeed with the opening phase of the mission. I'll instruct you further at the appropriate point in time."
The freelancer gave her a cheeky smile that told her she had no intention of doing her homework. "Sure thing, Betts." There was a loud clatter as the back of the chair Quinn had been sitting in hit the floor, as the girl backflipped out of it. "Guess I'll catch you later."
Betts! Dr Director growled internally. It was bad enough her calling me Betty. And I did not dismiss her! However, she knew it would be utterly pointless to reprimand the girl over her conduct. I just hope once everything's in place that Kim can find a way of keeping her somewhat under control. It was at having that thought that her brain reminded her of how they kept Shego under control in prison and then to Captain Brooks. Something about the brief glimpse she'd seen of the woman in the corridor still bugged her and compelled her to ask, "one more thing before you go, Quinn. What did Captain Brooks say to you out in the hallway before she left?"
A grin spread from ear to ear on Quinn's face and then in a scarily accurate impersonation of the Captain herself, replied, "I don't know who you think you are, but in Global Justice, you will show respect to your superiors."
Dr Director almost choked on a laugh and had to wipe a tear away from her eye. "That certainly sounds about right." I guess that will be a fat report landing on my desk in regards to what rules and regulations she's supposedly broken and what her punishment should be. "Very well, Quinn. You may leave."
The freelancer twirled around and bounced out of her office, leaving Betty once more by herself. It had been a difficult day, week, month… she'd lost track of how long it had been since she'd last had a non-bad day. Letting out a loud yawn, she drained the last of her coffee and wearily rose from her chair. It was time for a good meal and some…
Overhead, a red warning light began to flash as a loud siren sounded.
"No…" Dr Director almost cried at having been so close to the promised land of food and sleep. Sighing, she forced her agony aside and put on her game face. I swear if this is another army of monkeys trying to take over the Forbidden City, I'll personally shove a banana up Monkey Fist's backside! In a tornado of rage and determination, Betty stormed out of her office and down into the situation room. It was time to save the world again.
