The museum mentioned in this chapter is here for the sake of the plot and isn't connected to any real place. In the spirit of the show, some things don't have to make sense.
Please enjoy!
~xxx~
"Absolutely not, Victor Volt, there's no way."
"Aw, Anita, what have you go to lose?"
"Just about every bone in my body, I think."
As Victor tied the special cord around her waist, she found her legs shaking uncontrollably. It was his idea to drop down from the museum's domed ceiling to retrieve the "Belt of Benevolence," and in her mind, he was insane. For one thing, she was afraid of heights. For another, it was an incredibly dangerous and stupid thing to do. The authorities would surely catch on if they set off an alarm (she had a feeling they would), and her squeaky-clean record would be tainted forever in the eyes of the law. Would she have to pay a fine or go to jail? Would she have to share a cell with a tattooed thug named "Big Joe"? The thought was terrifying!
"Don't worry, new buddy, I've done this a dozen times… or was it once? I can never remember. Maybe I've never done this at all." He bit his thumb, deep in thought.
This wasn't reassuring.
"That does it," she said, trying to undo the knot that kept everything in place. "Look, I said I would help, but I didn't say I would help you break into a building! I don't want to be a criminal!" She flailed her arms for emphasis, giving Victor the stink eye as he continued to ignore her complaints. "And I sure as heck am not looking to die today."
He tugged at her cord to make sure it was stable. "We'll be in and out fast as a whip. I just have to cut a hole through this glass dome here, we'll grab the belt, and Doctor Doctor won't know what hit her!"
"Do you even know for sure that the belt is here?"
Victor grinned. "I sure do. Professor Professor gave me the exact coordinates. Now, we've got to get going. That green-haired fiend could be here any minute."
Anita peered down through the dome, the glass covered in dirt and wear from years of poor weather. The conversation she'd had with Victor just before they'd arrived at the museum played loudly in her mind.
~xxx~
Victor's communication device beeped as he put it away. "OK, Anita, Professor Professor says we're here to get the 'Belt of Benevolence' before a certain mad doctor shows up. Thankfully, we found its location first."
She frowned and ran a hand through her hair. "Why didn't he just say so earlier before he sent us off into the horizon? Why all this drama?"
Victor smirked. "You'll get used to it. It's just how he is – the little weirdo. Did you know he once sent me off on a crazy mission so he could watch his favorite soap opera?"
Ignoring his story, Anita tapped her feet and raised her arms up. "So, what do we do?"
Victor pointed triumphantly to their left and began marching forward. "We head to the museum."
As they made their way to their destination, Anita had one more thing to ask. "Did he make it so your flying thing would send us here, too?"
He nodded, and that was that.
~xxx~
"Do I at least get some kind of helmet or something?" Anita nervously watched as Victor finished making a sizable, circular hole in the dome.
"Hmmm… I think I might have one for you," her new partner said, checking the various pockets and buttons on his suit. "A banana… no, that's definitely not it… oh, hey, I forgot I had that… maybe…"
"Oh, for heaven's sake," Anita cried out. This was impossible!
"Look, I told you, it's fine. Take a deep breath and just go for it. I'll let you know what to do next when we get down there."
She reluctantly prepared herself to plummet down to certain death. "Are all Americans as reckless as you?"
"Some of them." Victor grinned, stepped behind Anita, and gave her a slight push.
Suppressing the urge to scream, Anita simply waved her arms around and felt the distinct sensation of falling. She hoped, as her heart beat out of her chest and her entire being gave into terror, that Victor had measured the distance currently. About a foot from the ground, she stopped in midair. Through what she could only explain as magic, her body remained horizontal. Breathing deeply, she added a relieved gulp for good measure.
Victor soon appeared next to her, completely unaffected by their stunt.
If what I've seen so far is anything to go by, Anita thought to herself, he's probably done worse.
Reaching behind his back, he brought out another one of his gadgets and scanned the area. "Don't see any lasers or triggers here. I think it's safe to walk. Come on, we gotta keep going."
It took a bit of effort to get herself down, but after freeing herself from the rope, they moved around the dark hallways and poorly lit displays. It was almost eerie, but Anita had always found empty buildings to be unsettling, especially at night.
After passing an ancient Egypt and Victorian England exhibit, they found the prize – a brown belt resting on a velvet pillow. If Anita was honest, it looked completely ordinary and plain, certainly not something to put out for tourists to admire (and, despite signs telling them not to do so, take flash photos). And yet, there it was, protected under thick glass casing.
Anita circled the display, eyeing it carefully. "So, now what? Do we smash it open, or… ?"
Victor chuckled. "Didn't you say you didn't want to get arrested? We do what we did with the dome, of course. Now," he added, gently and methodically placing his spy device on top of the glass, "we have to do this super carefully."
Just as he'd started cutting, the room began to shake, causing him to lose his concentration.
"Wh-wh-wha –" Anita stuttered, trying to keep her balance.
"I think we have a visitor," Victor said, his tone tense. "And they didn't bother to call ahead."
It was Doctor Doctor, of course, and she'd arrived in style. Surrounded by her minions (Expendables, as Anita recalled), the woman let out an annoyed cackle. She obviously wasn't happy with the duo.
"Step away from that belt, and I'll consider sparing your lives."
"Yeah, OK, we'll just hand it over," Victor said sarcastically.
Doctor Doctor growled. "Expendables, get them!"
As the men ran to grab them, Anita by chance glanced at a nearby painting of a woman holding a banana and got a sudden, albeit odd idea. "Victor, do you still have that banana?"
Victor blinked. "Yes, but why? Now's not really the time." He went into karate mode, ready to chop down anybody who came near.
"Just toss it to me, please!"
Within moments, and with some difficult, Victor managed to throw the yellow fruit at his partner. Peeling it, she threw the banana down. Just as she'd hoped, one of the henchmen slipped, then fell back and collided with a few of the others (and Doctor Doctor). The grunted and grumbled as they tried to get out of their predicament.
"Quick, Victor," Anita called out. "While they're distracted, get the belt!"
Hastily, Victor got to the belt and motioned that they'd leave through the main exit. That way, they'd definitely set off an alarm, and the villainess would soon be caught.
~xxx~
"A banana, wunderbar!" Professor Professor laughed exuberantly as he held his drink, nearly spilling it. "Clever und simple. Like something out of a cartoon."
Back in the small, temporary U.Z.Z. meeting room, Victor and Anita shared the story of their triumph as they all snacked on chocolate chip cookies and milk. It had definitely been an interesting day.
"Well done, young lady," said Pretty Pretty Princess. "You've shown us that you have real potential."
"Thanks," Anita said. She glanced at her watch and let out a gasp. "Oh no, I've been gone for hours! Alphonse must be so worried!" If he hadn't already combed the entirety of London trying to find her, he had to be nearly sick with anxiety. His girlfriend had, after all, seemingly vanished into thin air.
"I'll get you home." Victor stood up, placed his used cup on a table, and wiped crumbs from his mouth.
Pretty Pretty Princess raised his hand up. "One moment, Victor. I would like to speak to her."
"Yes?"
"Anita, I would like offer you a more permanent position here."
She clicked her tongue. She didn't want to offend him, but she was glad this whole thing was over and she could move on. "Thank you for your offer, Mr. Princess, but I'm going to have to decline. I'd just like to go home."
"Oh, please say you'll work with us? Please, oh please, with a cherry und sprinkles on top?" Professor Professor clasped his hands and bobbed his head up and down, almost acting like a child begging for a pony.
"I'm sorry, but no."
Pretty Pretty Princess frowned. "What if we gave you some kind of incentive? Your own skybike, perhaps?"
She shook her head. They could offer her all the gold in China, and she still wouldn't continue to risk her neck. It was too perilous, too hazardous, too likely to end the simple, unassuming life she'd harbored for many years.
"But we need somebody to keep this dimwit in line," he added.
"Hey, excuse me, I'm not –" Victor called out, offended.
"Please, at least think about it."
She had no intention of following through, but to make everybody happy, she said, "Sure, I'll do that."
Little did she know, this adventure was far from over.