Yeah, half this chapter had been written beforehand too.

A knock on the door awoke Lita. In her emotional exhaustion, she hadn't even made it to the bed, and had ended up crying herself to sleep on the bathroom floor.

"Miss Gris?" Flug called from outside, knocking again. "Are you in there?"

"Y-Yeah," Lita said, struggling to rise. "J-Just a minute."

Turning on the sink, she splashed some water in her face to wash away the grime she'd gotten from the dirty floor. After drying herself off, she took a quick glance in the mirror. While her face was clean, her hair was an absolute mess. Unfortunately, she had no comb lying around.

Oh, well, she thought, hanging the towel back up. Not like there's anyone here I want to impress.

When she opened the door, Flug stood there, looking perky.

"Morning, Miss Gris!" he said. "5.0.5. and I have brought you breakfast!"

"5.0.5.?" Lita said, looking past him.

Her mouth dropped at the sight. Standing there with a cart of pancakes was an enormous blue bear. With the yellow daisy sticking out of his head and big eyes, he looked like a Care Bear! His little maid outfit made him even more adorable!

She struggled to hold back a squeal from the sudden exposure to cuteness. "Oh…my…g—"

"Don't!" Flug cried in panic.

"—osh!"

Lita had seen the bear a few times on TV, but in person…it was like her five-year-old self's dream come true! Making eye contact with her, 5.0.5. smiled widely and gave her a wave.

That did it.

Squealing in delight, Lita rushed over to the bear. "YOU ARE SO FUCKING CUTE!"

5.0.5. let out an excited grunt, opening his arms to scoop her up. Lita welcomed the hug and buried her face in his plushy neck. It was like hugging a giant pillow!

She just couldn't help herself. Given how hellish the last twenty-four hours have been, she needed a snuggle from a giant bear.

"Y-Yes, well," Flug said, clearing his throat. "5.0.5., this is Lita Gris. She'll be living with us for a while."

5.0.5. growled happily, as if to say, "Yay, a new friend!"

"Glad that you're impressed with my creation," Flug said, tapping Lita's shoulder. "And I know how…therapeutic 5.0.5.'s hugs can be, but I wouldn't recommend having Black Hat seeing your, uh…display of affection."

Pouting, Lita broke away from 5.0.5., who moaned in disappointment.

"Besides," Flug said, rolling up his glove to check his watch, "you don't have time for any of this. Black Hat wishes to see you immediately, once you've finished eating."

Lita shivered at the mention of Black Hat.

"You're not in trouble," he assured her. "It's just your orientation."

That didn't make her feel any better.

"Fine," Lita said, playing with her messy ponytail. "Is there a comb I can use?"

Flug cocked his head. "There isn't one in your suitcases?"

"Suitcases?"

Looking around, she finally noticed the pile of black suitcases over by the doorway, alongside her punching bag and barbells from home.

"Black Hat had the Hatbots retrieve your belongings from home," Flug explained.

Lita blinked in bewilderment. "He's…actually letting me keep my stuff?"

"Oh, yes. Saves time on going out and finding new things for you."

She sighed. Of course.

"Which reminds me," Flug said, reaching into his lab coat.

He pulled out Lita's phone, which had her even more confused.

"You're not worried I'm gonna call for help?" she asked.

"Oh, no." Flug touched the screen. "And even if you do, we've tapped it, so we'll know."

Lita groaned. "Then why give it back to me at all?"

"How else are you going to get your schedule and list of duties each day? You'll find it in the Black Hat Organization app."

Feeling no immediate desire to check that app out, she took the phone and shoved it into her hoodie pocket.

"I also left your backpack next to the suitcases," Flug said. "Oh, and one last thing."

Reaching into his coat again, he pulled out a metallic syringe. Lita's eyes widened at the sight of the long, thick needle.

Memories of the hospital came rushing back. Of her mother, in the examination room, getting a huge needle inserted into her thigh…

"I just need to inject a tracking device into your skin," Flug said nonchalantly. "It's not that we don't trust you… Who am I kidding? We don't. But in the event that you decide to run off…" He noticed Lita's sickened expression. "Is there a problem?"

Lita gulped. "Do…do you have to inject it?"

He stared at her and then at the syringe. "Do you…have a fear of needles?"

She clutched her thigh as she backed away. "N-Not so much a fear, as I have a, uh…big dislike of…"

Flug found himself chuckling. "You face down a bunch of lasers, buzz-saws, flamethrowers and ruthless kids throwing snowballs," he said, waving the syringe around, "and this is what scares you?"

"It's not funny!" Lita shouted, causing both Flug and 5.0.5. to flinch. "Can't you just…put a collar or ankle thing on me or something?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no," the scientist said, wagging his finger. "You'd find it hard to bathe wearing a device like that. Too much risk of electrocution. Trust me," he said, tapping the side of the syringe. "This will be much safer. And don't worry about the pain. It'll only hurt for a moment."

It's not the pain I'm worried about.

Before Lita could take another step back, 5.0.5. took her hand in his massive paw. As she looked up at him, he gave a reassuring smile. He grunted something.

"Oh, very well, 5.0.5.," Flug said, sighing in disappointment. "You may hold her hand." He muttered under his breath. "Won't be as fun though."

Lita and 5.0.5. sat down on the bed, her hand still in his paw. Gripping the comforter with her other hand, she kept her gaze on 5.0.5. as Flug approached with the syringe.

"Now hold still," Flug said, firmly but gently gripping her arm.

5.0.5. gave her hand a tight squeeze just as the needle entered her shoulder. Lita winced as she saw the needle piercing her mother's thigh.

"Mija!" her father's voice said in her head. "I thought I told you to wait outside!"

"Done," Flug said, releasing her arm. "See? That wasn't so bad now, was it?"

Lita glanced over at her shoulder. It was a little red, but she didn't see any piercing mark. She touched the tender spot, feeling around for the tracking device.

"It's a microchip," Flug explained. "So small you'll forget it's even there. Now," he said, walking towards the door, "eat up! I'll come to fetch you in thirty minutes!" He sneezed suddenly. "And 5.0.5., if you would begin dusting in here, please?"

He shut the door, but Lita didn't hear the key turn. He hadn't locked it. She could just step outside and…no. With this tracking device in her arm, there was officially no chance for escape now. If she even tried, they'd catch her and punish her. Or worse, they could punish her father.

She eyed the buttermilk pancakes on the cart. Beside them was an assortment of fruit bowls and syrup bottles, along with pitchers of milk and juices. The sight made her stomach grumble.

At least they're not starving me, she thought.

Seeing her staring at the breakfast, 5.0.5. got up and went over to the cart. He gestured to the fruit and syrup.

"Oh," Lita said, leaning onto her palms. "Uh, you have chocolate syrup?"

Grunting, 5.0.5. picked up a dark brown bottle and squirted them onto the pancakes.

"That's enough," she said, holding up a hand.

With a bright smile, the bear carried the silver tray over to her and placed it onto her lap. A fork and butter knife sat on either side of the chocolate-covered pancakes. He then went back to the cart and gestured to the pitchers, as if to ask what she wanted to drink.

"Any banana juice in there?"

5.0.5. cocked his head.

"Yeah, not a lot of people know about it. But it's my favorite. Apple's good too."

Pouring her a glass, 5.0.5. handed the juice to her.

"Thanks," she said, taking the glass.

After a curtsy, 5.0.5. grabbed a feather duster off the cart and started dusting the furniture. Lita couldn't help but smile as she watched him.

At least there's someone in this hellhole I can befriend. Too bad he can't talk.

Being a fast eater, and given that she hadn't eaten the takeout she'd brought home last night, Lita devoured her pancakes within ten minutes.

"Did you make these?" she asked the bear after swallowing the last bite.

5.0.5., who had moved onto vacuuming, nodded.

"Well, they're delicious."

Beaming, he waved a paw, as if to bashfully say, "It was nothing."

As she set the dirty dishes back onto the cart, Lita looked over at the pile of suitcases. Glancing down at herself, she realized she was wearing the same clothes from last night. They stank from all the sweat.

She glanced at the old-fashioned cuckoo clock on the wall. Twenty more minutes until Flug returned. Just enough time for a quick shower and change.

After rummaging through the suitcases, she found her toiletries, her hairdryer and a change of clothes and carried them into the bathroom. When she emerged, she was all clean, her hair combed and dried, dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a white tank top. Having arrived, Flug cocked his head at her as she came out.

"What?" she said, throwing on her hoodie. "There a dress code?"

"Err…no," Flug said. "Not really. Just no pink." His tone lowered. "Never pink."

Lita shrugged. "Never really my color anyway."

He watched as she zipped her hoodie up. "Actually, that should be fine. The boss approves of black. And Dementia wears a hoodie all the time."

"Yeah, where is this Dementia?" she asked, looking around.

"Oh, you'll meet her in time. And when you do," he leaned forward to whisper, "do not, I repeat, do not ask her what she thinks of Black Hat!"

Lita blinked. "I…wasn't planning to."

"You will regret it!" Flug exclaimed before clearing his throat. "Now. Follow me, if you please."

On the way out, Lita waved to 5.0.5. The bear waved back and then pointed to the pile of suitcases.

"Don't bother with those," she called. "I'll take care of them later."

This walk through the halls wasn't as long as last night's had been. Black Hat's office was on the same floor, at the farthest end of the north hall. The sight of the enormous black double doors made Lita sick to her stomach. It was the same feeling she got whenever she was called into her employer's office.

Only this time, it was enough to make her face turn green.

"Don't worry," Flug said, noticing her uneasiness. "Just remember what we talked about last night. Do as he says, and don't talk back. And if he does get mad for whatever reason, beg for mercy. Trust me. He loves watching his subordinates grovel."

Lita cringed at this advice. She didn't like the idea of appearing weak in front of anyone. It left her to look like easy prey for any passerby criminal.

Before Flug could knock on the doors, they creaked open automatically. The high-ceiling office was decorated in the same green wallpaper as the hallway, along with more Black Hat portraits and shelves of assorted books and expensive-looking items. Trophies from past heists, she assumed. Straight ahead sat a large mahogany desk. The red cushioned chair behind it was facing the tall, ovular red-glass window.

Lita looked over at the shivering scientist, who gestured for her to step inside. What choice did she have but to obey?

The double doors slammed shut behind her. Honestly, Lita was getting so used to the sound that her reaction was really more of a flinch than a jump.

She watched as the large red chair turned, revealing its villainous occupant.

"Ah, Miss Gris," Black Hat said, grinning with his hands folded together. "First day on the job, and already you're punctual." He gestured across the desk, making a smaller red chair materialize. "Please. Have a seat."

It was strange. He acted so cordially for a villain. Of course, such a front would be expected from a businessman, no matter what kind of business he ran. Somehow this made him seem more—dare she think it—human. The idea eased her worry a bit and replaced it with anger.

Lita wanted nothing more than to wipe that snarky grin off his ugly face—okay, maybe not that ugly, but it wasn't aesthetically pleasing either. After abducting and torturing her father, forcing her to go through a series of crazy contraptions and persuading her into selling her soul, she hated him with a burning passion.

But he was also the one with the power here. Physically and legally. He had the supernatural strength, the contract, he knew where her father lived. He had all the cards and they both knew it. It wouldn't be smart to challenge him now. She would submit to whatever his plans for her were.

However, she knew if she acted helpless, he would have even more power over her. He may have my soul, but he doesn't have my spirit. Uh…if that makes any sense at all.

Besides, despite what he was capable of, he was still a boss. She'd dealt with difficult bosses before. Best thing to do was to remain calm and not be intimidated. If that failed, she would do what she normally did to relax in an awkward encounter.

So, taking a deep breath, Lita approached the desk and sat down in the smaller chair. She locked her eyes with Black Hat's.

For a moment, his grin faltered. He cocked his head to the side as he studied her. He appeared confused.

And he was. Last night, this woman had been radiating with fear, though she'd made an effort to suppress it. But now, that fear was completely gone. She wasn't even faking it. He could literally smell fear. And he smelled nothing.

Didn't this girl understand her situation? Didn't she know whose presence she was in? She was alone with him. In his office. His soul was hers. Why wasn't she afraid?

Lita cocked her head to match his. Confused about his confusion.

"Uh…you wanted to see me?" she said.

Black Hat returned his head to its upright position, grinning once again. No matter. Her fear will grow before this meeting is through.

"I had Flug do some research on you, Miss Gris," he said, opening a thick file on his desk. "It seems you…undersold yourself. According to these, you were quite the little cat burglar as a child." He chuckled as he flipped through the contents. "Most teenage girls spend their time shopping at the mall. Seems you were doing your 'shopping' after hours."

Lita glanced down at the file, catching glimpses of printouts of news stories, surveillance photos, her mugshots…

"Is that my credit card bill?!" Lita exclaimed, reaching for the folder.

Black Hat snatched it out of her reach, grinning further as he read the paper. "Mmm-mmm-mmm. So many purchases made to Thieves Illustrated."

She blushed hard, making Black Hat laugh. "It does not say that and you know it!"

"In all honesty," he said, setting the folder down, "I'm quite impressed." He laced his fingers together as his one eye fixated on her. "You were only caught once, but your prison records state that your DNA was found at seven other crime scenes. Now, I know the police can be incompetent, so I imagine the number is much greater than that, am I right?"

As Lita's cheeks returned to their original olive color, she nodded.

"Then by all means, how many robberies have you committed? I'm dying to know."

It took a moment for Lita to silently count on her fingers. "Thirty-six."

Black Hat's eyebrows shot up. "Thirty-six?"

"Well," Lita said nonchalantly, "thirty-nine if you count the heists my father and I pulled off together. Oh, not to mention the occasional pickpocketing and shoplifting. Then it adds up to about…let's see, sixty-seven, sixty-eight…"

He stared at her a long while. "You're not joking."

She shook her head. "It was mostly houses, a couple of jewelry stores and one bank—the security for that was laughable—no biggie."

Black Hat was a master liar, and there was nothing in her tone or body language to suggest that she was speaking falsely. Or sarcastically, for that matter. She was serious.

Bursting out laughing, he leaned back in his chair. "We-he-hell! It would seem I got more than I bargained for! But tell me, my dear." He leaned forward again, using his elbows for support. "Wherever did you learn such useful skills? I know you didn't attend my Camp for Young Villains."

This was certainly an interesting change of pace. Usually when her employers discovered her criminal record, they were outraged. She wasn't used to such…positive feedback. Except from her father.

It was…unnerving. Time to do her thing to relax.

"Papi considered that, but didn't have the money," Lita said, leaning forward slightly, not daring to put her elbows onto his desk.

"Fair," Black Hat said, remembering the bulk of loans.

"I learned some self-defense from my mother before she…" She paused. "And I was already on the gymnastics team at school." Her voice became quiet. "The rest I learned from Papi."

"Seems the old fool did something productive with his time."

Lita scowled. "Don't talk about him that way."

"What? It's true, isn't it?" He leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. "Anyway, it would seem you'd make a fine addition to my organization. Had I known you had such skills, I would've hired you years ago. Even accepted you into my camp on scholarship!"

"I've seen your website," she said in an annoyed tone, leaning back in her own seat and crossing her legs. "You don't do scholarships."

He shrugged. "I make exceptions from time to time. The point is I could use talent like yours. While I already have someone to run errands for me, she tends to leave…destruction in her wake." He cringed. "I enjoy chaos as much as the next villain, but there's a certain order to these things, and I'd rather not deal with lawsuits and police investigations. So many lawyers and detectives to dispose of…"

He glanced at Lita to see her reaction. No smell of fear yet, though she was cringing. Eh, I'll take it.

"Cleaning up after Dementia can be so exhausting," Black Hat said with a groan, crossing his arms. "Occasionally, I will need someone with a more," he smiled at her, "discreet approach. My business is no secret, but with heroes and federal agents investigating all the major heists…"

"I get it," Lita said, crossing her arms. "You like the fame, but you'd rather your enemies don't know what you've stolen—or rather that you're the one who ordered it stolen—so they can't figure out whatever it is you're planning. That way, you're one step ahead of them. But you can't do that if your hired hand is leaving a whole bunch of evidence behind."

Black Hat was momentarily thrown off. Not because of her deduction, but because she had shifted into the exact same position he was sitting in. Was she mocking him?

He tried not to let his annoyance show as he uncrossed his legs and touched his fingertips together. "Very good, Miss Gris. It would seem you do not lack in brains either. Despite not having finished high school."

"What can I say?" she said, uncrossing her legs. "I was busy with other things."

"You will need some training, of course, before your first assignment. First, you'll have to go through orientation. You'll mostly be working with my other henchgirl, Dementia. She'll polish up your combat and acrobatic skills, while Flug will aid you with any technology you might need for your assignments."

"Sounds good."

She touched her fingertips together, once again matching his position. This did not go unnoticed by Black Hat.

What does this woman think she's doing?!

Scowling, he slammed his hands onto the desk, causing Lita's to fall onto her lap.

"Let us make a few things clear, Miss Gris," Black Hat said, leaning towards her. "According to the contract you signed, you now belong to me. I may have allowed you to keep your worldly possessions, but everything under this roof, animate and inanimate, is mine. And as long as you live under it, you are to obey my every order without question."

"So I can't ask any questions?" Lita put her hand to her mouth. "Did that count? Or that?"

Black Hat growled, his annoyance showing. "Let me put it this way. I say, 'jump.' You say, 'how high?' I say, 'steal.' You say, 'how much?' I say, 'kill.'" The room seemed to grow darker for a moment. "You say, 'how painfully?'"

Lita gulped. Black Hat grinned. Her fear was finally coming to light.

"Rule Number One: you are not to leave the premises without my permission, which will mostly be for heists and the occasional business trip. Rule Number Two: you are not to discuss any information concerning your position here to anyone outside the Black Hat Organization. That being said, we will be keeping tabs on your phone and email. Rule Number Three: you are to address me as either 'sir,' 'Mr. Black Hat,' 'boss,' or 'my lord and master.'"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the last one.

"And Rule Number Four," he said, his eyes narrowing, "I do not take any form of insubordination lightly."

Oh shit, she thought. Did he realize I was copying his moves?!

"Noted," Lita squeaked, before clearing her throat. "When do I start, sir?"

The fear was gone again, which disappointed the villain. He was so used to people being afraid of him. Even other villains. Yet aside from her slight nervousness, this mere human was so relaxed and nonchalant. It was almost…refreshing. But mostly puzzling.

"You seem indifferent about all of this," he said, leaning back in his chair. "That's good. That's the mark of a true villain."

Lita crossed her arms. "I'm just following my end of the deal."

"For now, you are." Black Hat's grin returned. "From what I've seen so far from you, Miss Gris, you have the potential to be a great villain." He waved one hand to the side. "You just need a guiding hand, to steer you in the wrong direction."

"And I suppose you'll be that," she said, waving her own hand in the same way he did, "'guiding hand?'"

"You should've seen Flug when he first got here," he said with a dark chuckle. "Trust me, Miss Gris. You'll find you might like being evil."

Lita sighed. "I don't believe in evil."

"Oh?" He cocked an eyebrow. "And I suppose you'd prefer the," he gagged, "path of righteousness?"

She shook her head. "Don't believe in good either."

What a peculiar statement. It had Black Hat baffled. And yet…intrigued. Propping his elbows onto the desk, he leaned onto his folded hands.

"What do you believe in, Miss Gris?"

She took a moment to find the right word. "Selfishness."

Black Hat tilted his head to the side. "Care to explain?"

"This whole…idea of good versus evil?" She moved her head to match his. "It's bullshit. No one ever does anything because they're good or evil. They do things because they're either selfish or selfless. Take you, for example." She gestured towards him. "You offer your services to other villains, but for your own benefit, not theirs. Selfish.

"And heroes, doing good deeds and shit like that. They're not always doing it because it's the right thing, but to make themselves feel better, or for fame. Depends. People can even do things that are considered bad for totally selfless reasons. Like if it was to benefit someone they cared about…"

She trailed off a moment and then shook her head. "It's not a matter of what you do, it's why you do it."

Black Hat stared at her for a long while. It was needless to say that her statement surprised him. He'd always seen the world as black and white, evil and good. After all, "black" was in his name. Of course, he'd heard the whole "goodness inside you" speech from captive heroes all the time, but he'd never imagined anyone would tell him that good and evil was a complete lie.

This girl was becoming more and more intriguing by the minute.

"You have a very," he said, setting his folded hands down, "interesting outlook on life, Miss Gris."

"And you," Lita said, leaning forward with her hands folded onto her lap, "Mr. Black Hat, have an interesting," she paused a moment, glancing around the room to think of a comeback, "taste in décor."

Black Hat smiled in a way that only a few of his fangs were sticking out. "I think I might like you, Miss Gris."

She looked at him unsurely. "Should I feel flattered or…worried?"

He chuckled in amusement. "You decide." He stood up. "Come. It's time for your orientation tour."

She didn't protest as she rose to follow him. Her mind was in a muddle.

That…hadn't been so bad. Really. Maybe it was the fact that it was daytime. Or that since her soul was already sold away, there was nothing more he could do to break her. But he didn't seem as intimidating as he had last night.

Black Hat was surprisingly civil, when he wanted to be. If he had caught onto the game she'd been playing—he'd be the first of her bosses to notice—he hadn't punished her for her "insubordination." Could it really be called that though? Perhaps he just didn't mind a little playfulness. Didn't he expect her to be evil, anyway?

She wasn't going to be evil though. Not entirely. This was no different than when she first started stealing. Survival. That was all that mattered.

Survival. And her father.

She wasn't sure why she'd told Black Hat her moral beliefs. She supposed it was her way of pointing out that she wasn't doing any of this for him. That she was still her own person, even if she wasn't free. She had her own reasons.

Yes. She was the most selfish person alive. She was in this mess for the most selfish of reasons. Selfish, because she couldn't bear to live without her father.

Maybe she fit in here after all.

Ooh, I had so much fun writing the office scene! Originally, Lita copying BH's movements was a way to show their power struggle (kind of still is), but then I thought it could also be a coping mechanism of hers.

I'm always writing about heroines who start out being either self-righteous or are inclined to see the good in everyone. And while having a villain with a villain would be cool, I wondered...what if the heroine was neither good nor evil, but morally gray? I thought it was an interesting dynamic to try. Now you know why her last name is "Gris" (in case you didn't know, it's the Spanish word for "gray").