Tricks, Treats, and Deadly Sweets Part 4

Of all the ways the evening could have gone wrong... a bunch of villains turning into violent swamp monsters was no where on the list. Drakken backed away as one of the turned Inn staff lunged towards where they had been surrounded. A blast from where Shego stood next to him knocked them into another but the glowing fluctuating that seemed to travel through their body only seemed to assist the creature.

"Shego, maybe blasting them is not a good idea," yelled Drakken. Her eyes narrowed at him.

"I know that!" she snapped back, "Not much of a choice to keep them back here, is there?"

"Nein," came Dementor from behind him, "My gun's out of energy- not that it's done much damage."

"Anyone have a plan?" came Lucre's voice.

Drakken's eyes darted for any exit or quick escape, his mind racing with any distraction or alternatives then being mauled by their surrounding adversaries. He knew by the way Shego's hand found his wrist, that she was attempting the same thing. He scanned around closer, ignoring the conversations behind him as he wondered if there was a way to use someone as bait to get a clear area of escape.

If they were just corralled-

In the blink of an the mutants began to rush them and on instinct Drakken clung to Shego... whether for self-preservation or protection, he himself wasn't even sure. He slammed his eyes shut and waited... and waited some more. There was a loud commotion and growls from the mutants that made his spine run cold. Exclamations of words and noises from their huddled group made him wonder if someone had decided to be a hero and become the bait he'd wondered about. When no claws or teeth dug into him he peeked one eye open and moved his face out of Shego's hair.

His eyes shot open in shock and what came to view. Apparently in his panic, his plan of corralling them with bait had in fact happened... without the bait however. A single vine looked as if it were a dozen or so as it help back the mutants either by restraining them or corralling them with tables and chairs to pin them to the walls. The cold feeling in his back was not from the sounds but from Flower acting on his subconscious urges.

He pulled away from Shego slightly and looked around them, the standing felt like a strain and Flower's vine moved through his hands as if urging for support just as he became concerned by the feeling in his back and spine.

"Whoa," breathed Lucre. He grinned at Drakken, "Does your brilliance have no bounds?"

"Yeah, completely planned," muttered Shego as she scanned around them, "Well its a temporary solution."

Drakken rolled his eyes as Shego's hands fell away from his waist. He hadn't even noticed she'd been clinging to him too. Drakken remained unmoving at the strain he felt through his body as he attempted to take a step. He looked for the tell tale end of his appendage in the form of the large pink flower normally adorning it, but it was no where in sight. Every shift of a table of chair, or tug by those who were currently trapped... he could feel. He was certain it had officially reached its limitations and just barely. It was a sudden reality as those who hadn't escaped and were huddled behind him, that even if an opening permitted he couldn't simply leave.

"Is there another way out?" asked Duff. Drakken glanced to see him talking to the two staff members who were not turned or hiding behind the bar.

"The kill switch for the doors is the easiest," said Conner, "Unless someone wants to tempt the bathroom window."

Drakken looked towards where his vines had shoved the remnants of the refreshment table against the doors. He doubted opening them would be a good idea by the strain he felt keeping them closed. Shego's voice whispered in his ear.

"I'm going to see if I can bust the door and then we-"

"I can't," Drakken cut in.

Shego's confused look asked for an explanation but his grip tightened on the vines in his hands as he felt them tugged. He nodded towards the doors where he was barely keeping a small pack of mutants, who had been dressed as a fairy tale theme, was trying to squirm out. The image of Shego blasting the door and an attempt at fleeing fell short of him being mauled as his vines would not be able to untangle themselves as easily as they had interwoven around them all. His focus shifted to arguing behind them, and when Shego turned to look at what he couldn't see, he finally listened.

"I have a few explosives in me bag," grumbled Duff, "Might knock a few out."

"Or start something on fire and trap is in here," retorted Cleopatra, "Brilliant plan."

"I didn't hear you coming up with anything," cut in Lucre.

"Right now I'm focusing my energy on which item in my vault to send to Sweets," scoffed Cleopatra.

"I don't think that caused it," added Adrena's voice... it was hushed and towards where Shego was, "They look like that island thing."

Drakken was curious but as he felt a tug to his right... he interrupted the conversations.

"Instead of worrying about revenge and blowing things up, why dont we figure out a way to knock these things out without potential further carnage," he barked, "This is a villain establishment... isn't there something confiscated- knock out gas?"

"Roofies?" suggest Ed.

"Chloroform?" added Dementor.

"We have acetone and bleach," came Mego's voice from where he and Gina held up cleaning supplies.

"Okay, but whose shoving it in their face?" asked Shego.

"A big enough towel and it shouldn't be too- Ahk!" Cleopatra screamed and Drakken couldn't swival his head far enough to see the commotion.

"Babe!" came Ed's voice and then snickers.

"I don't care if she was not the direct cause of this! When I find Sweets- Uhg!" Cleopatra growled.

Shego let out a loud snort.

"What's happening?" demanded Drakken.

"Those things shoot slime," sighed Shego, "Chloroforms out. Can you use the vines to knock them out and we book it?"

"Shego... I can't," Drakken felt a twinge of pain down his spine... somewhere in the chaos there was something happening to one of his vines, "We need a better plan... something we can spread..."

Drakken trailed off as he saw something red and silver through a small crevasse between chairs and limbs. It was a flamethrower attached to someone unconscious. His mind raced with a thousand different thoughts but the pain in his body and the arguing behind him wasn't surfacing anything.

"Is there anything liquid we can distribute that wont physically harm anyone?" asked Drakken.

His mind mostly worried about what chemicals might burn his vines rather than the mutants.

"Back to confiscated things- Roofies?" asked Ed again, "Mix it with something... a hose-"

"Flame thrower," stated Drakken, "Empty out the gasoline and dismantle the spark mechanism."

"... Yes because we have that?" argued Ed, "Seriously Cuz-"

"We have a few confiscated ones," stated Gina.

"And if those don't work... Pyro Pete's knocked out over there," Drakken nodded his head in the direction.

"What kind of establishment do you think this is?" sighed Conner, "We don't have any roofies-"

"We flush those and leave the ones we got them from in the desert," finished Gina.

"Really?" Mego's voice was in a questioning whisper.

"You have your justice, we have ours," stated Conner.

"I have something!" came Cleopatra, "I keep Mind Melts in my purse!"

"You keep what in where?" asked Ed.

Drakken thought for a second.

"Dr. Sweets product, correct?" asked Drakken. Cleopatra appeared in front of him.

"Yes, she kept using them on people so I stolen a few... there like the Mind Control Mints of hers but the side effect it had was making your brain moosh for a few days and put you in a mild coma. They got scrapped."

"Why do you have them, seriously?" asked Ed.

"Not important," Cleopatra waved her hand dismissively.

A few more shifts and the group had relocated in front of him rather than behind them.

"Mix those with some strong drink and that could work," stated Dementor.

"Tequila," declared Adrena.

"That should work," said Drakken. He glanced towards Shego.

Her brow raised.

"If it's the only liquor you can't hold... it should be strong enough for them," he finished.

"Should I be offended?" asked Shego. Drakken opened his mouth the counter but she shook her head, "You're right... is there enough?"

"Sure," shrugged the two bartenders.

"Great thinking Adrena," smirked Lucre.

"Maybe a mixture so we have enough," added Mego.

"Whiskey and Tequila?" added Adrena, "It will knock a person out without any additives."

"That's debatable," stated Mego, "Red wine mixed would have a greater sedative effect."

"That sounds horrible... if were going pricey here... Scotch," stated Adrena.

"It doesn't matter what it tastes like," scoffed Mego.

"If it doesn't matter the taste... you may have a drinking problem," cringed Adrena.

Mego narrowed his eyes at her.

"We aren't drinking it!" argued Mego.

"Enough!" snapped Drakken, the pain in his body and the arguing creating a throbbing in his head, "How many of those things to you have Cleopatra?"

"I'll have to... Bullocks! I don't have my purse!" she snapped and looked down, "Eddie?"

"You left it on the table..." Ed shrugged and indicated to where said table was holding people in place.

"There it is," said Lucre pointing to a hideous golden fish deep within the tangle of limbs and vines, "That's unfortunate."

"Mego?" asked Shego towards her brother.

"Why me?" whined Mego.

"Because you can shrink," sighed Shego as if it were obvious.

"You shrink?" asked Duff, "How small."

"He had a dollhouse custom made to get away from us," smirked Shego.

"It's really nice," nodded Gina. Mego glared at them both, "It is."

"Dementor, do you think you can reinstall the switch for the doors?" asked Drakken. He hissed as a sharp pain ran through him.

"What, can't do it yourself there Mr. Bigshot?" asked Dementor.

"You want to hold them," Drakken glared and gestured around them.

"Of coarse I can," smirked Dementor confidently, "A simple door switch is child's play."

"This is what we're going to do," Drakken focused on his words over the pain.

"So, you're in charge now?" asked Dementor. Drakken glared.

"I can let them go if you have a better idea-"

"Calm down, I was just making sure you had a plan," Dementor hastened.

"Mego. You get that purse... Killigan can keep an eye out for you-" Drakken was cut off.

"I don't need anyone's help—"

"Why am I watching the leprechaun?" asked Duff.

"Excuse me?" asked Mego.

"Zip it!" snapped Shego. Her hand ignited, "You two heard him. Go get the purse."

"Geesh sis, calm down," grumbled Mego as he stepped away from them.

"Was she always this bossy?" muttered Duff as the two moved the direction of the item.

"She's mellowed actually," Mego responded.

Drakken took a deep breath and tried to rearrange the vines to stop the sharp pains he was feeling. He tried to focus on anything but the pain or looking like a sitting duck. The thought of the others simply opening the door and leaving him there wasn't a thought that hadn't occurred to him. They were not longer villains after all, and even when he was... it wasn't an unlikely scenario then. The shifting seemed to alleviate some pain but the noises erupting as the one time patrons attempted to escape his blockades was loud and shrill, and would hold much longer. He was rambling and he knew it, the pain, while diminished had made his own voice become white noise with the other sounds around him.

A sharp pain radiated through him, but this time he could feel where it was coming from. He looked towards the direction Dementor was eyeing up the hanging wires above where a jagged clawed hand was aggressively moving along the wall.

"They're going to either make it worse or spring the doors," stated Dementor.

"We could book it then," said Cleopatra.

There was a murmur of agreement and Drakken felt a wave of anxiety rush him before he fought it back.

"Shego," Drakken hoped she was next to him.

"How long will it take those melt things to work once we get them?" Shego was near him but talking.

"Well the cocktail that seems to have been decided would knock out any of us in five... but who knows about them or even if we can get them all to drink it," said Cleopatra.

"Shego," Drakken stated again.

"If we can at least get most of them and the doors open we can slip out," said Shego.

"Drug em and ditch em," snorted Ed, "Is there something that can close the door again from the other side?"

"Wait," Dementor cut in, "You want me to get over there and put that together while there awake?"

"It would cut the time in half-" Whoever was talking was cut off.

"Nein!" scoffed Dementor, "I don't have a death wish."

"Shego," Drakken tried again.

"What?" she sighed before she looked at him and her furrowed brow and tone softened, "What?"

Drakken felt the twinge of pain again coming from the wall area and changed the whine that was at the tip of his tongue as others came into view.

They were listening to him.

"We could get them seriously more hammered if we have more than one flamethrower," said Ed as he appeared in view with the flamethrower parts he'd gotten from the confiscated pile, "Wasn't Pyro Pete around here somewhere?"

"Was her?" asked Lucre, "I thought I saw flames... I hope he's okay he still has to finish my tattoo."

"Since when did you get a tattoo?" asked Adrena.

Another sharp pain.

Drakken pushed aside his concern that he would be ditched in the chaos around him if the doors were to open. He glanced at Shego, aware of the many times she'd gotten them both out of more close calls than a simple escape might be... but the pain was starting to click that one or more of the mutant beings were attempting to rip through Flower's vines.

"Shego," Drakken nodded, "Go with Dementor to get to the wall. The vines will respond to you to relocate... I can't see what's happening but I feel something's off over there."

Shego opened her mouth to argue but instead she shoved Dementor towards the direction.

"Ach, nee!" yelled Dementor.

Without indicating so, Flower's vine shifted to allow Shego and Dementor to vanish through the reaching clawed hands from between the chairs and tables. Drakken hoped Shego's presence would help sort out the source of the painful jolts he was having that were not caused by strain. His own thoughts about it was interrupted by the noise breaking out behind him that was a newly returned Mego and Adrena resuming the prior argument on the chosen cocktail that he hoped was being concocted where he could see Gina and Cleopatra with a large bucket.

Let's hope that doesn't make things worse.

Restraining from firing a blast at the occasional hand swiping at her, was harder than she thought. The only thing keeping Shego from acting on instinct was the reality that it would probably hinder rather than help and possibly damage Flower's vines. As Drakken had suggested, the vines shifted with her presence.

A clawed hand shot out directly towards her face. Before she could react, it was Dementor who had stopped it with a faint blast from his laser gun. It retreated and he began banging to laser against his palm.

"Thought it was dead," stated Shego as she focused her drifting thoughts.

"It's supposed to self-charge," grumbled Dementor, "It takes a few hours... I think that was the last energy it had. It is just your powers now, liebling."

Shego's hand ignited as she narrowed her eyes.

"What did you just call me?" asked Shego.

Dementor put up his hands in defense.

"Take no offense, it is simply a polite term-" Dementor was cut off as a chair broke near him.

The head of a mutated person dressed as a police officer attempted to bit Dementor but got his helmet instead. Shego picked up the closest chair piece and swung. Reluctantly the being retreated and the vines tightened despite claws attempting to break through them. She hit again until the claws retreated with a shrill scream and a few shifts later, the vines wove to restrain the injured hands.

"Do you suppose they are hungry or simply violent?" asked Dementor as they swiftly moved forward.

"I don't know, I didn't ask," scoffed Shego, "Looks like Sweets toxic candies don't shelf well."

"As we both know, the don't handle well even without time," snorted Dementor. Shego rolled her eyes, "Though I will take the accelerated hangover, hot-flashes as you called them, and the cleaning of sick that remains over... whatever this is."

"That's a debatable choice," glared Shego, "If you don't mind I don't recall that evening and I don't really want too."

"It wasn't as if it was a bad evening," continued Dementor, "Up until the worst of it... We were having a wunderbar time... we robbed a bank even."

"You and I have vastly different definitions of wunderbar," Shego snapped, "Waking up in a strange location, a foggy memory, and feeling like a train hit you... is not my definition."

"Foggy?" asked Dementor, "Ahk... you did have a few more drinks than mine self... Why did you simply not ask-"

"Ask?" Shego scoffed, "The idea of even palling around with Drakken's arch rival made me disturbed... I sure as hell didn't want to hear about what transpired in your lair."

"We both had those hot-flashes and stayed in mine room where the air functioned... you became sick in my helmet and we slept," Dementor said casually, "Up to that point however... we pulled off quite the caper- I can see why that might upset Drakken given the past failings he'd had."

Shego swung around and smacked an outstretched claw attempting to reach her and glared at Dementor. He almost walked into her before taking a step back. She was attempting to read his expression and piece together what little memory she had. It was a strange blind hope that what he said was accurate, and nothing had actually transpired other than a caper and getting ill. Nothing in Dementor's expression indicated he was playing down or excusing what he was saying, but the aftereffects of that evening came back.

"If nothing happened, why would you tell Cleopatra we slept together?" she glared, "I mean let's not forget the first time you and I first worked together before then."

Dementor seemed to look confused for a moment.

"We did sleep together... You do remember waking up in mine bed at least... correct? As for telling Cleopatra... she asked why your gloves were in my lair," stated Dementor casually, "What that has to do with our first time working together... I know not."

Shego narrowed her eyes further getting ready to simply blast Dementor for whatever game he was playing when she watched his eyes widen.

"I am thinking I may have said something wrong about that evening," said Dementor. "But I assure you... nothing more than a caper and a very bad mix of sugars or liquor happened that evening."

Shego felt a strange mixture of emotions inside her as Dementor walked passed her. She was torn between screaming at him, blasting him, and feeling relieved that the horrible thoughts that had been her mind for years over that evening were simply imagination if she chose to believe him. The narrow path to where the wall below the wires was became visible, and a new concern pushed her current thoughts away. The sight of large pink petals scattered on the ground made her shove passed Dementor.

"What did you mean by saying Drakken's arch rival- ahk! Watch it there are... things here-"

Shego ignored Dementor as she darted towards the fallen petals and began searching the vines where she could see marks in them from clear jagged claws. To where she found Flower drooping with a single petal remaining woven tightly around a particularly volatile mutant dressed in sequins. She felt the drying leaves on its edges as it moved into her hands as if asking her for help.

"I need water," said Shego as she went to dart back down the path but was greeted with a wall.

"I think the thirst will have to wait," said Dementor as he used a chair to reach the wires, "I think it can only weave pockets."

Shego looked around them to see that Dementor was correct, the vines had only been able to temporarily part a way through and to go back for water would only add more time that Flower and Drakken would have to restrain the mutants... and remembering Drakken's paled face... she doubted he could do it much longer.

"Make it fast," demanded Shego.

"I can only do what I can in what time I am able," Dementor replied as he was already working away, "You will simply have to get a drink later."

Shego's hand moved around Flower again as it slumped into her palms.

"It's not me I'm worried about," she breathed.

You better be okay...

OH NO... Flower... →