The benefit was what Gordon had expected. They'd been met with camera flashes and shouts to Lady Penelope. Questions swirled through the flashes, most pertaining to who the young man was and their relationship. Her ladyship had handled it all with the warmest of smiles, but never actually answered, instead going on about how wonderful this event would be for the foundation.

The genie found it all fairly annoying. Spend hundreds of thousands - if not millions - to raise a few million for some cause? Probably just to make them all feel better. Like they've contributed back to humanity and they could all go back to their mansions and yachts with a clear conscience. It was maddening to say the least.

But he'd promised his mistress he would be civil. That meant smiling and listening to trivial conversations about last year's event and how much better the food had been. He would defer to Penelope whenever questions got a bit too close to her expertise, but that didn't mean he couldn't interject his own opinions.

"What an impact it would have if they served what some of these poor countries had to eat! Could you imagine how much more motivating it would be to donate if we had to eat those nutrient porridge bowls?" He suppressed a chuckle of annoyance as the woman dressed in furs and jewels scoffed at the mere mention of replacing her scallop carpaccio and smoked gruyere bruschetta.

"What a delightful idea," Penelope echoed his sentiment, bright and smooth as her hand came to rest on his arm. Immediately, the woman's demeanor changed and it was as though agreeing with the young Creighton-ward meant she could live another day.

"Oh darling, I do hope they will take it under advisement," the woman offered, before turning back around. "Although, I wonder if the same number of donors would be able to participate?"

"I believe you'd be quite surprised," Penelope's counter came with a knowing tilt of her head and the woman was fumbling as she tried to redirect the subject.

"Such lovely music! I must find out who they've acquired." The woman wrapped an arm through her less than thrilled husband's arm to lead him away. "I do hope to speak with you again soon, Lady Penelope!"

And now, they were alone, on the sidelines to watch the guests mingle and eat and dance. Gordon would have hated it if not for the amused chuckle that came from her ladyship. He glanced over to see the bright grin on her face and wondered just what had tickled her the most.

"Thank you for that," Penelope didn't make him wait long to find out. "That woman can be insufferable at times. She gives the bare minimum every year just to be seen."

"Some people are addicted to the spotlight." Some of those being old masters who had made it far in life, but those lives had been shortened greatly. "It'll eat them up eventually."

"Mmm, yes, I tend to agree." She took a sip of champagne from the flute she was holding. It was actually the first one she'd taken since lifting it from a passing tray. It seemed more an accessory as her eyes roamed over the faces around them. "I will say your idea is actually quite brilliant. Of course there would be complaints if they didn't receive something grotesquely gourmet, but that doesn't mean they can't taste some of the fruits of their labor."

"And hopefully try to improve it for the sake of those who actually have to eat it."

"Precisely."

Gordon's gaze stopped following hers, instead, focusing on the groups of socialites. His attention caught on a particular group and he leaned closer to Penelope. "Who are they?" He gesture to a group of well dressed men, assumingly not part of the rich crowd as they too scanned the area.

"Ah, so those are the people we would like to avoid," there was nothing jovial in how she spoke, his brow raising questioningly. "Now's as good a time as any to tell you, I suppose. They're very dangerous and unfortunately, part of the reason we're here."

That set off alarms in the back of his mind. "Why would you need to deal with dangerous people?"

Penelope's answering smirk didn't help to settle the twitches of concern. Instead, she squeezed his arm and led him over to where Parker waited.

"Time, M'lady?" The elder man asked with a grin of his own.

"I believe it is," she let go of Gordon's arm and he turned to see her pull her compact from her clutch. For all appearances, she looked to be checking her make-up, which was still perfectly in place. "If the two of you could keep an eye on the prince's friends, I shouldn't be too long."

She moved away, back into the crowd and Gordon was intent on following before a hand caught his arm. He turned to find Parker offering up a warning smile.

"Nothin' to worry h'about as long as we don't lose sight of those blokes." He let go, settling back against the wall. The genie joined him reluctantly, deciding to watch the meanest looking one of the group. He wasn't necessarily the biggest, but Gordon had centuries of experience reading people. No, the biggest guy was just muscle. The leader would hide himself amongst them as to not be an obvious target.

And the leader's eyes were following Penelope - or at least the direction she'd gone.

"The hell -"

"H'I see 'im, mister Gordon," Parker warned. "Best to wait for her ladyship to do her job before causin' trouble."

"What is her job exactly?" Gordon couldn't imagine her doing anything that would draw the attention of dangerous people, aside from being wealthy. That might paint a nice target on her kidnap-able self.

"Can't say, but h'I assume you'll find out soon enough." An amused chuckle and Parker went back to watching.

And watch they did. The minutes ticked without the reappearance of Lady Penelope and no movement from the men. For a brief moment, Gordon closed his eyes and reached. He found her, not too far away, and in no sign of distress. That was good, he guessed. He opened his eyes as a hand tapped his arm.

The genie paid Parker no mind as he watched the group begin to purposely step away from the area they'd been occupying. His heart jumped and he turned, the older man already moving. They were on an intercept course and he began to wonder just what the plan was. He wasn't a skilled fighter, though he'd witnessed many battles. His masters never stayed long enough to need his more physical abilities.

"What are we doing?" Gordon whispered harshly, but before Parker could answer, the crowd in front of them parted and out stepped Penelope. Her smile of relief was a welcome sight and he almost voiced it until she was grabbing his arm and pulling him towards the center of the room.

"Can you dance?" Her voice was smooth, though there was a hint of strain underneath.

"Uh - sure, yeah, kinda." It had been a while, but he remembered some of the basics.

"Would a wish help?"

"Only if you're okay with me taking someone else's ability to dance?" He caught the worry in her sapphire eyes and quickly added, "I've been to enough galas to at least know how to waltz."

A curt nod and she slipped her hand into his before coming to a stop on the scantily occupied dance floor. The music from the band would fit well enough and he carefully placed his hand at the small of her back as she turned to face him. Her hand lifted to his shoulder and with a quick smile he led her into the fluid movements.

"What are we doing?" Gordon asked as he spun his arm around her, pulling her back against him.

"Dancing," Penelope teased. "And letting everyone see us."

His eyes flicked up to see that most of the room was watching them. "Why?"

"Can't just disappear, now can I? That would raise too much suspicion." The tease turned into a coy smile that made him question her morality.

"Wait, what did you do?" His voice was low as he twirled her around again.

"I'll explain everything on the trip home, I promise." A softer expression wiped away the playful on as he dipped her. He brought her back up and then continued. "For the moment, let's just dance."

A few more couples joined them, the music seeming to intensify as the mood lifted. It felt like everything was coming back down from the heightened emotions from earlier. When the music stopped, he was led back to the rooms edge.

"That was quite enjoyable, thank you," Penelope accepted another tall champagne glass, Gordon doing the same out of a sense of obligation.

"I'm still curious what that was all about, but it was fun," he took a sip of the bubbly liquid. "Ah - never did find this stuff all that good."

"It's more to keep your hands occupied," she lifted her own, the color perfectly accenting the gold in her dress and making it seem as though she held a jewel rather than a simple beverage.

Glancing down at his glass, he quickly decided it didn't do him any favors and set it on one of the nearby tables. "Now what?"

"Now, we find the host, thank them for a wonderful event, I transfer a sizable donation and we leave." A tight smile and wave to someone across the room and she took his arm again. "Come, I do believe I'm ready to go home."

As if her life was planned just so, Penelope led him through each of the steps she had outlined. He had been pleased to see her sizable donation was just that and was quickly understanding why the host had been so thrilled she had attended. Now, they were outside, waiting for Parker to bring the car around. A chill had set in and the thin shawl over the woman's shoulders was barely qualifying as a deterrent.

"May I?" Gordon gestured to the suit jacket, unable to take it off against her wishes.

"Oh, thank you - ah, I wish for you to give me your coat," he suppressed a laugh at her uncertainty. It was so contrary to how she'd acted earlier, he wondered if this was the same woman. A quick move and the jacket was off, slipping over her shoulders. "Parker shouldn't be too much longer."

The sound of footsteps behind them sent his earlier alarms blaring and he wished the pink Rolls Royce would turn the corner at that moment. The rough grip on his arms and the startled cry from Penelope was indication that even Parker might not be able to help.

"Your ladyship's presence is requested," the man's accent was thick, but his intent was anything but polite as they found themselves being led towards the side of the building and the shadows beyond.

"Pen-" a fist connected with his jaw as they left the view of the street. There was no pain, but it effectively cut off his warning. She needed to make a wish.

"Where is it?" The voice belonged to the leader of the men from earlier, Gordon's view clearing as he was held by the big guy and another. Penelope was being restrained by two others, fear etched over her face.

"What do you want? Please, just take my purse and leave us alone!" Her voice trembled. Gordon found it odd in comparison to when he'd first met her. She hadn't been nearly as affected by the sudden appearance of a mystical genie, yet here she was, quaking in the clutches of a human.

"The journalist's data, you have it." The leader growled and the sound of metal sliding free was not missed before a large knife appeared. "Give it to me or your friend dies."

Who the hell were these people?

"Penelope!" There was no point entertaining them - these potential murderers. She could get them out of this easily enough.

"This does not concern you," the man spat as he lifted the knife, pressing the tip against Gordon's throat.

"Oh, but it does," he corrected, still watching Penelope who had finally turned to regard him. "Make a wi-"

The command was stopped short as the knife moved and embedded into his stomach. Gordon heard the shocked cry from Penelope before looking down at the piece of metal still stuck in him. It was an odd feeling he'd actually never experienced and stole his breath as the weapon was removed.

"The longer you stay silent, the sooner he dies."

Gordon's eyes found hers again and he saw the anger that flared. His own burned with the realization these men meant to do them harm.

So with a smirk, he asked, "want me to kick their asses?"

Her smile mimicked his. "Oh, I wish you would."

And he had just the person in mind to take that fighting skill from.

A snap of his fingers and the big man's grip lost its strength. It was nothing for Gordon to wrench himself free, driving his fist into the leaders face and sending him sprawled across the ground.

The genie didn't hesitate to take out the other man clinging to his arm in shock, the crack of his nose shattering bouncing off the walls. He ignored the big guy in lieu of grabbing one of the men on Penelope and slamming him into the wall behind her. He crumpled on impact with a strangled gasp as the air left his lungs.

The other man on his mistress seemed to have enough sense to let go, but made the mistake of trying to attack Gordon. His hand took hold of the man's arm as he tried to grapple him, slamming his shoulder into his gut and launching him through the air. The sound of the thug's weight colliding with the cement was almost satisfying.

Gordon's last opponent wasn't worth worrying about. He was currently trying to flex his hands into fists, his muscles refusing to cooperate. The genie took a step towards him and the man's eyes lifted, the war in his mind trying to decide if he should stay and fight or just run. Unfortunately, he decided wrong, meaty fingers clawing at the smaller blonde. Gordon ended it quickly with a fist to his face, leaving him motionless on the ground.

Silence fell over the alley until the sounds of the city filtered back into focus. Gordon took a steadying breath and turned to find Penelope toying with her compact. He would have questioned it, but the disc disappeared a moment later and she was approaching him with a worried expression on her face.

"Are you alright?" Her hand took his arm, the other gently inspecting the gash in his dress shirt.

"Yeah, totally. Genie, remember?" He smiled, pulling back the material to show the smooth skin.

"Oh, thank goodness," her hand found his and pulled, leading them through the maze of groaning bodies to find Parker jumping from the pink car to run towards them.

"Are you two alright?" The chauffeur's gaze roamed over them, presumably ensuring his charges were in fact in one piece.

"Quite, thanks to Gordon," Penelope expressed with a smile, continuing towards the vehicle. "But I do believe we should leave before we have more company."

Gordon shrugged as he passed Parker, who frowned, but quickly followed. They were inside and driving away from the building full of oblivious socialites in less than a minute. Now that they were out of prying eyes, the genie found it pertinent to ask the one question repeating in his head

"What the hell was that all about?!" He didn't mean to shout, but he'd just been stabbed. It didn't escape him that it could have easily been Penelope instead.

"I did promise didn't I," she sighed, removing the pendant from around her neck. "They were after this." He looked at the necklace and back up to her, still confused. A flick of her thumb over it revealed a tiny protrusion. "This chip contains communications between a Saudi prince and his militant groups giving orders to attack civilian camps. It is the final piece the World Council needs to bring down his tyranny."

"And you had to find it? Why not send someone from the CIA or Interpol, like a -" Gordon stopped as she looked at him with a grin that said he was on the right track. "Wait… Are you a spy?!"

"An agent, yes," Penelope confirmed, replacing the necklace before pulling out her compact. It flipped open and he watched as an image of a man in blue filled the space above it. "John, we're all clear. Any word on if those gentlemen have been taken into custody?"

"The authorities were able to detain all but one unfortunately," the figure's hands hovered over controls Gordon couldn't see. "Are you alright?"

They seemed to be getting that question a lot tonight and Gordon wondered what would've happened had he not been with her. Would she have made it out alive? Would she have brought someone else with her to be stabbed for information? Maybe this John guy?

But, no - she'd been lucky. Hadn't she?

"Yes, we're fine, although one of them tried to stab my companion. I do hope he wasn't the one to get away - Izz al-Din, if I'm not mistaken." Her side glance to him when she mentioned the man's intent - although abbreviated - was laced with that same anger he'd witnessed before. This was a woman who took violence towards her friends very personally.

John grimaced, "That would be the one, but they've got proof he was there. It shouldn't be too difficult to locate him. I'll have EOS run scans for facial recognition. He'll show up on a video feed eventually."

"Thank you, John. Please keep me updated."

"FAB," and the image blinked out as she closed the compact.

The Rolls Royce lifted into the air, but Gordon kept his eyes on his mistress, lips thin as he tried to decide how he actually felt. She seemed to have anticipated his reaction and was returning his stare with her own, patiently waiting for him to speak.

"So," lame start, but this was actually new for him, which was saying something. "You're a spy."

"Agent."

"Agent - who works for…"

This time, her expression pinched as she hesitated to answer. "That's - complicated."

"Good guys or bad guys?"

Penelope scoffed, "Good."

"How do you know?"

"Well, it's quite obvious."

"You sure? They could just be using you?"

"I am and they're not."

"Does he work for them? What's his name - John?"

"Yes."

A whimpered bark broke up the back and forth, Penelope bending down to lift Sherbert off the floor. The pug nestled himself between them, accepting the scratch behind his ears.

"Is it always this dangerous?" He leaned back, feeling a little more at ease after the previous answer. The man in the compact had shown significant concern for his mistress and that meant she had someone else watching her back.

"Not always, but it can be," her fingers found the underside of Sherbert's chin. "Is that a problem?"

Gordon smiled, "Not at all, but it sounds like you could use another pair of hands."

"Are you offering?" Sapphire flashed with intrigue.

"I believe I am." Amber answered with just as much excitement.

"Then it's settled," Penelope extended a hand for him to take, his palm pressing against hers. "Welcome to International Rescue."