Another Heist Part 4
If there had ever been a perfect time to pursue a person in a well-lit hallway, it was when everyone was still finishing dinner and dancing, because Shego had not run into a single person since she'd left the ballroom—save her fist running into Maisy's eye. Despite the perfect hit, the other woman had managed an ill-placed knee into Shego's stomach. It had been Shego's fault for underestimating her. It had not occurred to her that a possible requirement for working at a villain establishment might be some fighting skills or training.
Fortunately, she wasn't very good.
Or at least, she preferred running to fighting. No sooner had Shego straightened up than she saw Maisy fleeing down the hall again. Shego scoffed and yanked off her glove before sending a green blaze in the woman's direction. It hit the wall as Maisy darted through a door with a shrill yelp. Shego let out an annoyed growl as she sprinted towards the door. She hesitated outside the door to the women's restroom where the woman had vanished. It was silent from inside the room and Shego smirked before opening and slamming the door to the storage closet between the two restrooms and waiting. As if on cue, the restroom door opened and Shego waited to see badly dyed blonde hair before clothes-lining Maisy's attempt to run again. She stood over her as she tried to catch her breath.
"You know, I'm really having a good time at this ball," snickered Shego, until Maisy attempted to kick her.
Her hand barely caught the appendage before it could hit her below her hip. Shego raised a brow in amusement, despite her heart racing at the nearly missed attack. The sound of people talking and getting closer caught Shego's ear and she surveyed the area around them quickly. The shadows down the hall made it very clear they were about to get company and her cover, if not already blown, would be eradicated. Maisy was pulling her ankle away from Shego's grasp and had clearly not heard the people coming or she could have easily made a scene. Shego did the only clear thing she could do, apart from letting the woman go. She dragged her into the women's bathroom by her leg. This earned her several quick kicks to the shin, but the pain did nothing but make it clear that this had been the correct choice.
As soon as the door closed, Shego received a hard kick to the ankle and let go of Maisy's foot to pull away. The tingling numbness shooting through her body from the hit only fueled a fiery blast at the woman, sending her back into the door hard. Shego lunged forward and swung an uppercut which delivered a decent blow. A sharp pain shot through Shego as a familiar and terrifying jolt spread through her. An electrical current circulated through her nerves as she pulled away, and the clicking light of a taser was revealed in Maisy's hand.
"You aren't the only one packing, Shego," she glared. Shego lit both her hands and watched Maisy's panic set in. "Listen, we can talk about this. I made a mistake... You know what it's like busting into the villain world. It's screw or be screwed— Ah!"
Shego jumped as the door slammed into Maisy hard, the taser falling from her hand in the process. Shego looked in the doorway to see Cleopatra holding her scarab beetle taser and leaning around the door. Then to Pandora who clearly had hit the door with force and was holding it open until they both stepped in and watched Maisy slide to the ground. Shego watched Cleopatra put her taser away and Pandora lean against the door as they both looked at Maisy.
"Is she dead?" asked Cleopatra, very little concern in her voice at her question.
"No," said Pandora as she crouched down. "Knocked out cold."
"Now what?" asked Cleopatra as she looked at Shego. "Was there a goal here? Should she be dead?"
"No," scoffed Shego. She hadn't really thought the fight through, if she was being honest.
"Oh! I have an idea," smirked Pandora. "Back-up for framing anyone?"
"I love it," grinned Cleopatra. She looked at Shego. "This is your beef, your call?"
"Sure," shrugged Shego as she uncrossed her arms. "We can stash her in the storage closet until then... Do you have a duplicate copy of the bracelet? I can get one for the ring from Drakken."
"Obviously," sighed Cleopatra as she opened up her garish purse and pulled out a dark silver bracelet with a large dark ruby and colorful gemstones around it. "Why else would I have this purse?"
Shego and Pandora spoke in unison.
"Bad taste," they both mused.
Cleopatra rolled her eyes.
"Honestly, I'd be hurt, but I question both of your tastes as well." Cleopatra handed the bracelet to Pandora who was attempting to pick up Maisy.
"Little help here," Pandora glared at the two of them. "She isn't light."
Cleopatra scoffed.
"Cleopatra doesn't do lifting," smirked Shego as she helped Pandora.
"See, Shego understands me," smirked Cleopatra as she opened the door for them. "We really must have another girl's night."
"I think this counts and I'm going to go ahead and check that box as attended," responded Shego as she indicated to the storage closet. Cleopatra opened it for them.
"Anyone just want a girl's night that doesn't end in violence?" grumbled Pandora.
"I've always wanted to do one of those wine and paint things," grinned Cleopatra as she looked at a shelf. "I found rope."
"Hand it here," Shego sighed.
Shego tied up Maisy as Pandora and Cleopatra began talking about plans Shego had no desire to partake in. She knew no matter how simple and innocent whatever outing they planned, it would end in violence or criminal activity quickly. Her mind flashed back to the cameras she'd blasted at the fashion warehouse and she felt a wave of unease. She sprinted out the door quickly and looked down the halls for anything that remotely resembled a camera. She didn't see anything, but it still made her nervous. She'd blindly reacted on violent revenge over logic. She should have not made a scene, even if presumably the only ones to notice were Cleopatra and Pandora, it meant others might have seen as well.
"There's no cameras... Or at least...none active," said Pandora as she and Cleopatra joined her in the hallway. "I took care of that before the ball even started."
"Heists are Pandora's and Hermes's wheelhouse, remember," smirked Cleopatra, clearly proud of her partner's choice for the evening. "Though, none of us seemed to realize just how popular Ms. Valentine is."
Pandora held up a hastily written note that bore the name 'Shea Valentine' on it.
"It was in that blonde's pocket where I put the bracelet. Along with an empty vial," shrugged Pandora. "Let's hope our little friend there didn't already take out Valentine and she's not even here."
"So it seems someone's turned to mercenary work," scoffed Shego as she looked back towards the ballroom. "Well, looks like it won't be an easy night, will it?"
While Shego was well aware Shea Valentine was already there and alive. She remembered the glass of wine at the table and knew she needed to dispose of that before the woman drank from it. She quickly looked at her attire as she saw her tossed glove on the ground, wondering how much damage her makeup had taken. She grabbed Cleopatra's gaudy reflective purse and looked at her face. There were only a few smudge marks at worst. Shego smirked at knowing that Maisy had not fared well at all in comparison.
"Well now that the excitement is done, shall we get back to competing over who finds Valentine first?" smirked Pandora.
"I'll meet you back in the ballroom," sighed Cleopatra as she began heading back towards the supply closet.
"Where are you going?" asked Shego suspiciously.
Cleopatra raised a brow and then looked at the closet door before rolling her eyes.
"I am not working with anyone if that's your concern," she scoffed. "If you must know, I actually do have to use the loo... If you need to accompany me, feel free."
Pandora glanced at Shego as if waiting to see her response. Shego's eyes looked at the door and then at Cleopatra before she and Pandora both walked towards the bathroom with the gold-clad woman.
"I want to say I am hurt by the lack of trust," smirked Cleopatra, "but I appreciate that you both recognize my ability at deception."
"Yeah, don't flatter yourself. It's more experience-based than respect," scoffed Shego. Her comment did nothing to deter Cleopatra's smirk.
Shego straightened out the curls of her hair as she walked back into the ballroom, fresh layers of makeup applied to her face where it had gotten smudged and with a slight twinge behind her eye from the headache caused by her bathroom company. The dinner settings had been completely removed and waiters walked by with small bite-sized sweets and fresh wine. Shego's eyes scanned the room and passed over the dance floor looking for Drakken, wondering what he had gotten up to in the time she had been gone.
She quickly looked over to the table of Valentine where no wine glasses sat. A sudden concern that their target might have been poisoned was interrupted by the figures standing near the table—more the familiar deep laugh of her date than the actual figures. Drakken had found Shea Valentine on his own...and the table she'd hoped he'd not remembered was the one she'd looked at. This thought completely fled her mind as the dark-haired woman gave a flirty giggle and her hand rested on Drakken's arm far too long for Shego's liking. Her eyes narrowed as a sour feeling took over and she headed swiftly through the crowd, internally wondering if just yanking a ring off a person and punching them out would be noticed by anyone.
Drakken's eyes found hers and his grin broadened, causing her to slow her aggressive steps.
"Sheila! There you are." The sudden use of her name and his expression made her face feel slightly warm.
The dark-haired woman turned to look at her, a clear flicker of annoyance on her face followed by a charming smile. She wasn't who Shego had suspected. She'd imagined a younger woman with a pretty face and the typical gold digger appearance. Not the older classy looking woman with more than a simply pretty face. Shego raised a brow and then looked at the woman's hand where the ring and bracelet were clearly worn. This was in fact, their target.
"Sheila, this is...Shawna... Or if anyone asks tonight, Shea Valentine," Drakken hastened. "Shawna, this is Sheila, my partner."
The flushed feeling Shego had felt at the smile and her name turned back into a sour feeling at Drakken's words. They were supposed to be playing spouses around people, or at least, she'd expected more than partner as a title. This was her first thought until the name of the woman took over, trying to grasp why a con-artist would give her real name over the identity she'd been using to a stranger.
"Nice to meet you...Shawna?" Shego raised a brow at Drakken.
"It's my ex-sister-in-law's name," hastened Shawna. "She's a recluse, as Drew seems to know, so I figured...if she's not using her name to go to swanky parties...someone should, right?"
The giggly laugh she gave as her hand nudged Drakken's arm again in a playful manner made Shego's hand clench. Shego took a step in between them, causing Shawna's hand to move swiftly away from Drakken. This slightly pleased Shego, but not enough to diminish the sour feeling in her stomach.
"Well, how quickly you two seem to have become familiar?" Shego stared at Drakken. "Should I be worried, partner?"
Shego saw the look of confusion ghost over Drakken's face at her words before a flash of recognition took over. His brow flared as if he was urging her to simply roll with his words. She understood it clearly, but she had to fight the urge to cross her arms as she gave a pleasant smile and stepped away from Drakken slightly.
"Drew and I go way back," Shawna declared confidently. "Like, play in a sandbox back. What are the odds we'd run into each other here of all places? I wasn't even going to come... Whole messy divorce and bad break up thing... But then I wouldn't have run into Drewie."
The excited voice of the women did nothing but further baffle Shego.
"'Drewie'?" asked Shego. "That's new—"
It clicked as Shego spoke.
Shawna!?
Shego had a mental image of the imagined rocket ship fort and a young Drew with no longer a faceless girl but a younger version of the woman before her. The twisted feeling Shego felt swirl inside her was more than a little jealousy about a pretty woman touching Drakken. Shego felt her hand begin to tug at her hair slightly and an urge to step back closer to Drakken.
"Sheila. I was just about to ask Shawna to dance. So I'll meet you at our table," Drakken was clearly trying to convey a plan, but Shego's focus was on what he said rather than his vocal inflection.
"Dance?" her eyes narrowed. "While I wait at the table...one would think...Drewie...you'd come alone?"
"Sheila. Shawna and I have some catching up to do and I promised her a dance." Drakken seemed firmer, and Shego saw him gesture to his wrist as if to remind her of the plan.
Shego rationally could have seen the plan of Drakken being charming and easily nabbing the ring... But the fact this wasn't a stranger anymore was not allowing that reasoning. She gave a forced smile and nod before Drakken and Shawna headed onto the dance floor. Shawna's arm draped through Drakken's and Shego had to restrain herself from shooting a plasma blast at the woman just for the way she looked at Drakken.
Yes, rationally...Shego could see it... But as she found her way back to the table, rational wasn't winning. Emotions were.
This whole evening was a mistake...
Oh dear...
