Chapter 22: An Ex-Friend Returns

When Eve and the others got home, Eve heard a grunt. Who could it be? It sounded all too familiar to her. She turned to face the person. "You!" she growled, knowing who it was. Her ex had returned!

"Eve, I just wanted to say I'm sorry," Fidget replied.

"For what?" Eve demanded, "For trying to throw my friends out of Ratigan's blimp? For not listening to me whenever I try to stop you from doing something bad? YES, you should be!"

"I'm sorry, okay? I'll admit I've been selfish as Ratigan is and for not listening to you or being nice to you and everyone else. Please, give me another chance. I can change."

Eve wasn't having any of it. "NO!" she retorted, "Fidget, I've given you enough chances, but you continue picking fights and our relationship isn't going to work out because of you and your selfishness! You're still not going to change! What you did was unforgivable and inexcusable! You're not sorry, just when you get caught! If I were truly honest, I moved on from you and reunited with my family. Olivia and her siblings got their father back and London was saved and no thanks to you!"

"What?" Fidget gasped, not believing Eve broke up with him. "You mean you're breaking up with me?"

"Now, I'm going to teach you a lesson as payback for what you've done to my friends. I shouldn't have tried to save you from falling into the Thames River." With that, she brought him over to Ratigan's lair.

"Eve, you're angry, I get it," Fidget told Eve, who was still upset with him, "Believe me, I know what it's like, but you are making a mistake."

"Mistake? Ha!" Eve scoffed with biting sarcasm. "The only mistake I ever made was living with you in this sewer! If I wouldn't have relied on you, none of this would've happened! Even I'm just as guilty for working with Ratigan, but quit!"

Fidget sighed and started to sing:

The path of hate

Is a dangerous track;

You take one step,

And it's hard to turn back.

Fidget shook his head.

It pulls you along,

And though it seems wrong,

It feels right.

Eve glared at him in the most hateful way possible. Was he contradicting what she just told him?

Don't you see this path you're on

Leaves a permanent mark?

It feels good at first,

Then it slowly turns dark.

The male bat knew he was just as guilty for the crimes he committed.

With each passing day,

You're further astray

From the light.

But Fidget wasn't going to stop there.

Suddenly you lose your way and lose the thread;

Lose your cool, then lose your head.

Every loss is harder to excuse.

Although what Fidget did was inexcusable, he wanted to make it up to her and everyone else he wronged. "Says you," Eve snarled.

Then you'll see, you'll lose your faith and lose your soul,

'Til you lose complete control,

And realize there's nothing left to lose.

Nothing left to lose.

"Evie, trust me," Fidget pleaded, "Becoming the villain, isn't the answer!"

"Is that what you think I am?" Eve demanded and sang her part.

The path I'm on is a path

Paved in black.

I'm taking that road,

And I'm not looking back.

Eve turned away from him.

Each twist and each turn

Leads straight where I'm yearning to go.

Fidget gasped. This was not the reaction he expected, but it was normal for her not to trust him at this point. After all, she broke up with him for trying to throw Clover, Andrew, and Olivia overboard.

Yes, it's true, my path is dark;

But I see where it ends:

My rivals will fall

As my power ascends!

She leaned towards Fidget.

Despise me, that's fine.

I'm taking what's mine even so.

Eve sang these three words with a scoff: Not like you…

You lost your nerve; you lost the game.

But you and I are not the same.

I'm not lost, this fate was mine to choose.

She walked away from Fidget.

So, I chose to lose my doubts and lose my chains;

Lose each weakness that remains;

Now that I have nothing left to lose.

Nothing left to lose!

Fidget tried to reason with Eve again.

You have so much to hold onto…

Eve still believed he was a traitor.

I only want my rightful dues!

Fidget:

Listen, please! You've lost your grip and lost your mind…

Eve:

Lose? I'm not going to lose…

Fidget:

All's not lost, don't be so blind…

Eve:

I refuse…

Fidget:

Cut your losses, drop the IOU's.

Eve:

I refuse!

Then Eve continued her verse: I lose no tears and lose no sleep…

Fidget:

Oh, choose…

Eve:

What I want, I'll take and keep…

Fidget:

It's time for you to choose…

Then the two sang these few words:

You can't stop the turning of the screws!

Eve stuffed Fidget into a bottle and advanced herself on her prisoner, she spoke, "You will stay in that bottle to reflect on what you've done and just in case you think of escaping…" She gestured to the deadly weapons, which were pointing at him, making him shudder with fear. It wasn't like she was planning to have dangerous objects pointed at him; they were left over from the time Clover, Basil, and Dawson were tied to a trap. Walking away from the sewer, she sang her final part:

Now I have nothing left to lose…

"Now, it's not that I don't trust you," Eve mocked and added venomously, "No, that's actually it! It's over between us! We're through!"

Now that Fidget was alone, he sighed in defeat, knowing he had to earn her trust as well as everyone else's. Then he sang a song to himself:

No pain could be deeper.

No life could be cheaper.

No point anymore if she can't love me;

No hope she would do so.

No dream to pursue, so.

I looked to myself, despise all the things I see

For I know that she

Cannot set me free.

Let the world be done with me.

He hated himself for working for Ratigan and this was his punishment for the crimes he committed. The peg legged bat knew now that he got what he deserved and started sobbing.

…

Eve closed the door behind her when she got in the house.

"Eve, what is it?" her mother asked.

"My ex-boyfriend, Fidget is back," Eve answered, "But I imprisoned him as payback for what he did to me and my friends."

"Good, he deserved it," her father said.

"I'll show you where he is."

"Evie, can I come?" Flappy asked.

"No, Flappy," Eve replied sadly, "It's grown-up stuff."

"Your sister's right," Clover told him, "But we'll be back. Besides, you have Andrew and Olivia to keep you company."

"I'll take care of them," Hiram assured Eve and her parents and his older daughter.

"Andrew! Olivia!" Flappy said, running over to Andrew and Olivia.

"Hey, Flappy!" Andrew said, hugging the young bat affectionately.

…

Eve and Clover led Eve's parents to Ratigan's lair, where Fidget was held prisoner inside a bottle, surrounded by traps.

"You little monster!" Clover snapped at the bat, "Now you know how it feels to be trapped like I was with my friends and family! Serves you right for trying to kill me, and my little brother and sister!"

"Let that be a lesson to what you've done to my daughter and her friends!" Shade shouted.

"You don't deserve to be her boyfriend," Luna agreed.

At the look of terror in Fidget's eyes, they each knew they had made themselves clear.

"I have another idea," Eve said, "We can banish him."

"Good idea," said her father.

"Fidget, we're only letting you out so you can get out of our lives for good," Eve told him and pulled the cork to let her ex-boyfriend out. As soon as she yanked him out, she set him down and added, "Now leave and don't come back until you learned your lesson."

Hearing her words, he ran away so that no one would have to deal with him for a while until further notice.

"You did the right thing, Eve," her mother said.

After exiling Fidget, Eve, Clover, and Eve's parents returned home.

…

"What happened?" Flappy asked.

"After Eve imprisoned Fidget, she exiled him until he really learned his lesson," his father answered.

"Oh."

AN: Will Fidget earn everyone else's trust, including Eve?