"This feels dangerous…
…
…I love it!"
Edith cheered, her voice echoing through the hallway. Clamping a hand over her sister's mouth, Margo shushed her. She glanced down both sides of the hallway, before whispering, "If we're gonna do this, we can't be seen."
"But we're their daughters," Agnes frowned, struggling to keep up with her smaller legs.
Margo sighed, slowing the pace in her favour, "Yeah, but that's not an excuse for us to sneak into a highly top-secret organisation."
"Full of the world's deadliest and coolest weapons," Edith grinned at the ceiling, fists clenched, "and all the villains Mom and Dad have caught."
Agnes' eyes lit up. "Ooh, maybe they caught a new villain!"
Pursing her lips, Margo considered the idea. Of course, whenever Gru and Lucy were at the peak of capturing a villain, they kept the girls' identity secret to avoid another Vector or Bratt incident. Every time they were caught, they weren't in the safest area. The AVL would have cameras and bodyguards near the villain area.
Ah. Cameras.
"Well, no chance we're seeing any villains," Margo shook her head, "c'mon," she said before gesturing to follow her back where they came from.
But Edith had other ideas. She tugged Agnes' shirt, pointing at the sign labelled AVL Cells. Snickering together, the two girls charged down the hallway. Margo gasped, turning sharp on her heel.
"Are you guys kidding me?" she called, chasing them.
Edith and Agnes reached the end of the hallway, pausing at the bolted door. Their grins faded. No way inside. Dang it.
Once Margo caught up with them, she released an airy laugh of victory. "Thank goodness," then, she turned to the two girls with a glare, "what were you thinking?"
"C'mon," Edith slumped her shoulders, "stop being such a spoilt sport."
"I'm not being a–"
The latch twisted on the door. Grabbing Edith and Agnes' hands, Margo tugged them around the corner. An agent returned, scratching his head with a frown as he waited on the phone. He tapped his foot, waiting for someone to answer his call.
Through the speaker, the girls could hear the treacherous sound of their parents' boss, Valerie Da Vinci. "What?"
"Sorry to disturb you, Ma'am," he cleared his throat, "but something really strange is going on in the cells."
"Strange as in…?" Da Vinci almost sounded bored.
"I dunno," the agent turned back, "nothing drastic, just…uncanny."
"Has anyone escaped?"
"No."
"Then it doesn't matter. Call me when it's something important," she snapped, "now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish painting my toenails."
The agent widened his eyes as Da Vinci cut the call. With a frown, and eventually an unbothered shrug, he carried on down the hallway. He wasn't paid enough for this.
With a relieved sigh, Margo stepped out of their hiding spot. "Alright, let's go before–"
BEEP!
She whirled her head around, catching Edith beside the unlocked door. Twirling a keycard between her fingers, Edith smirked, "I'm not a casual pick-pocket, but I'm pretty dang good at it."
Agnes bounced on the spot, clapping her hands. Facepalming, Margo shook her head. She would've been frustrated…but she couldn't deny that she also wanted to discover what awaited behind the door.
Edith swiped the card. Greeting them was a single blinding light, causing the girls to recoil. Taking the lead, Margo stepped inside, cautious of her whereabouts. Her hand blocked the light, which also restricted her from viewing any prison cells.
"Girls?"
Margo, Edith and Agnes all froze. They exchanged weary glances, before slowly turning around. Agnes gasped, clutching onto Edith's arm, who hid behind Margo, eyes peeking out from behind her shoulder.
The voice wasn't a hallucination. It truly belonged to Balthazar Bratt - the villain that kidnapped them as punishment for Gru and Lucy interfering with his diamond heist. He sported different clothing - more hippie like - which wasn't the best look after his plan to kidnap them involved dressing as their own mother.
Bratt chuckled, "My goodness, it really is you!"
Margo yelled as she nudged her sisters, "Go, now!"
"No, no, wait!" Clive, Bratt's robotic sidekick, raised his voice, alerting the girls. He seemed more distressed than usual, "I need your help!"
Edith scoffed, halfway out the door, "Oh yeah? After you left us dangling off a building?"
Eduardo whirled his head around, glaring at Bratt. "You did what?"
Vector shook his head. "Okay, the other me also kidnapped the girls, but I'm not low enough to endanger them."
Bratt raised his hands. "Chill, man. What the other me committed has nothing to do with me."
"Absolutely despicable," Eduardo crossed his arms, "good guy or no, you deserve to be in a cave!"
"The other you?" Margo cocked her brow, "What are you talking about?"
The three villains - technically, heroes now - glanced at each other.
"Clearing head, brrrr," Clive's screen filled with static, before returning to its original face, "a strange substance was placed into an edible object. Now, my master is a…a hero! The horror, beep boop."
Margo rolled her eyes. "A hero? Nice try."
"Even if it's true, it's better than the jerk he was!" Edith yelled.
Clive continued, "Your father has the cure."
Agnes gasped. "Dad did this?"
Margo held her hand. "They're lying, Agnes."
Bratt glanced at the other two men. "Wait, if we could get out, I could record an apology to Hollywood!"
Eduardo nodded in support. "I should apologise to Gru for abducting his Minions, and to Lucia," he frowned, "I regret my actions deeply, she is a very kind person."
Vector also nodded. "Yeah, I better give back that Shrink Ray to its owner."
Bratt gasped, "We should go for some waffles, too!"
"Oooh," Eduardo grinned, "I like the strawberry and white chocolate one."
"I'll pay for it!" Vector declared.
Eduardo smiled in courtesy. "You are too generous, amigo."
The girls couldn't comprehend the words escaping their mouths. What???
Still reluctant, Margo stepped closer to the cell. She kept her focus on Clive. "Do you know exactly what our father had?"
Clive shook his head. "Unidentifiable object. It may be a transforming gun of some description, as it transformed your mother into a–"
"SHHH!" The three men hissed.
Margo blinked. "Turned her into a what?"
Clive shrieked, jumping back. "I've said too much. Shutting down."
And with that, his eyes dissolved like grains of sand. The screen switched to pitch-black, and his robotic limbs fell limp.
Wringing his hands together, Bratt pleaded, "If you could just break us out and take us to Gru–"
"No way!" Edith yelled, crossing her arms, "You think we're dumb."
"Yeah," Agnes frowned, copying her sister but struggling to figure out how to cross her arms, "we're very smart."
Then, she glanced back at the door. Next to it shone a bright yellow light. She gasped, "Ooh, pretty light."
She tapped the glass twice, before the light sunk into the wall.
"Agnes, no!" Margo cried.
BUZZ!
The cell doors opened with a loud CLANG!
Vector stretched his arm out, raising his brows in surprise as he didn't hit the door restricting him.
The girls took a few steps back, before Margo finally shouted, "Run!"
Agnes yelled out, tripping over Edith's boot before sprinting out the room. Wincing, Edith limped as she followed her sister. Checking that both escaped before her, Margo finally ran behind them. If they were being chased - she wouldn't let her sisters be caught first. Even if it was absolutely terrifying to experience again.
Margo whipped her head around her shoulder. To her shock she found…
…nothing chasing her.
She came to a stop, the other two girls following suit. They tip-toed back into the cell block, where the three villains remained in place. Bratt occupied himself with switching Clive back on, whilst Eduardo and Vector glanced around the room.
"Ahh," Vector chuckled, stretching his arms until he heard a satisfied click, "that feels much better."
Eduardo nodded. "Si, but this feels wrong."
Vector stepped backward into his cell again. "Yeah, buddy. Only a criminal would escape."
Successfully switching Clive back on, Bratt agreed, "Maybe we asked for too much."
Margo held Edith and Agnes' hands. She watched, cautious yet confused.
Everyone flinched at the sound of marching footsteps. The guard from earlier stepped inside, pausing as he examined what the heck was going on. "Hey, you can't be down–"
WHACK!
Whipping out her nunchucks, Edith rapidly reacted to the guard that entered the room. She whipped him hard enough that he tumbled to the floor, completely unconscious. Everyone stared at her, mouths agape.
Edith threw her hands up. "What? If we're caught, Mom and Dad are in big trouble."
"And if my boss is caught, he'll be a good guy forever!" Clive whined.
"What's wrong with that?" Bratt pouted, "My head feels a lot warmer with all these good thoughts."
Mortified, Clive zoomed in front of the girls. His two robotic limbs pressed together. "Please."
Hesitant, Agnes tip-toed up to Vector, examining his orange suit. "Hmm, you're not scary orange pyjama man anymore."
Vector smiled. All villainous thoughts absent, he finally appreciated how adorable these girls were. He comically flexed his muscles. "He's long gone. Call me terrific orange tuxedo man."
The comment tickled Agnes, making her double over in laughter. Even though she tried to keep a straight face, Edith smirked.
Finally, with a frustrated growl, Margo said, "Fine. I have no idea how we're getting outta here though."
Silas Ramsbottom wasn't a fan of the flamboyant.
After retiring, he wanted his house as peaceful as his retirement. So, he handed his mansion to a happy and wealthy family deserving of the place, trading it for an apartment of the same quality - but much smaller for his own comfort. He kept the cream and burgundy colour-scheme, as well as knick-knacks, certificates and trophies - including ones of him and his AVL agents.
He lifted one in particular which made him smirk. It was him with Gru and Lucy on their wedding day. Silas chuckled, remembering the countless moments that he expressed his weariness about their relationship to Lucy. But, time flew past, and Gru never gave him a reason to believe they wouldn't last. He treated her much better than any agent in the league, and he respected him afterwards. Their relationship was friendly enough now that he eased away from just calling them agent after retirement. Although he'd known Lucy for years, he had to keep professionalism and steer away from growing attached to her like a daughter. Even sending her to Australia punched him in the gut.
But now, retired, Silas cared enough about the two agents to check in with them often. Although, the last time he checked must've been two weeks ago. Then again, nothing drastic could've happened in two weeks, right?
Knock knock!
Tapping his teaspoon on the mug, Silas headed towards his front door. A little daschund, Sizzle, chased after him with his tiny legs. He pawed at the door whilst Silas unlocked the bolt.
He wasn't sure what he expected - but Lucy in dark clothing wasn't one of them.
"Silas!" Gru smiled, holding out his hand for a shake.
Kindly returning the gesture, Silas glanced between the couple. "Good evening Gru," he gave Lucy a reluctant glance, "uh…Lucy?"
Lucy saluted. "Silas, my main man."
Blinking, Silas cleared his throat, "I apologise if I forgot we organised a meeting, but it's always lovely to see your faces turn up anytime."
Gru shook his head. "No, nothing planned, we're sorry to bother you. Uh…we have a problem."
Gesturing for them to enter, Silas hummed, "It's Da Vinci, isn't it? Look, I'd do anything to help, but there is only so much I can do."
Wringing his hands together, Gru stalled, "Well…she is a problem, but really we're here because–"
"Woah!" Lucy found herself intrigued in Silas' fireplace - the mantelpiece in particular. She grinned at a tiny sculpture of the Taj Mahal. "Gru, we should totally steal the real version of this."
Silas glanced between the two, puzzled.
Gru chuckled nervously.
Lucy continued, "I bet with a shrink ray, that'll look good on our bedside cabinet. Ooh, maybe the mantelpiece in the hallway. That way, everyone can see it!"
"Yes honey, that sounds perfect." Gru lay his hands on her shoulders, chuckling nervously. "Hey, why don't you make a list of all the wonderful things we could steal together?"
Lucy gasped, clapping her hands together. "Great idea," then she grinned at Sizzle, patting the side of her leg so that he'd follow her.
As she dashed into the next room, Silas tilted his head at Gru. "What is going on?"
"Nothing!" Gru squealed, a little too loud.
Silas cocked his brow, unconvinced.
Gru's voice trailed off as he awkwardly twirled his fingers together. "Well I…it's not my fault, per-se, I just…my friend invited a bunch of villains over–"
"What?" Silas choked.
"No, no, ex-villains," Gru cringed, widening his eyes, "ones like me. Just to celebrate a big anniversary of me stealing the Queen's crown. Blah, blah, blah."
Silas' concerned stare turned more into a frustrated frown. He crossed his arms.
Gru gulped. "I didn't want Lucy to join the party, you know, just in case they made fun of her."
Silas scoffed, "Why would a bunch of ex-villains waste their breath mocking someone who they have become?"
Gru shrugged, "I didn't want to risk it," and then he glared ahead, "and because she felt left out, my stupid friend Nefario used his villainization ray on her."
Jaw dropping, Silas struggled to find the correct response. He rubbed his temple, close to the section of grey hairs forming from stress over the years. "Why would he own such a preposterous device?"
Gru shrugged, not surprised in the slightest. "It's Nefario."
Silas shook his head. "Lucy would've been perfectly capable, and a villain wouldn't bring her ego down."
"I know…" Gru glanced to the side, chewing the inside of his cheek. His shoulder twitched as he avoided eye-contact
Silas noticed this, and it wasn't something he'd witness often. There was a pattern to this particular attribute. Only when Gru was…
Lying.
Silas stepped closer. "That's not the reason, is it?"
Gru stared back at Silas. "Excuse me?"
"Your shoulder twitches when you lie," Silas gestured, which caused Gru's shoulder to twitch once again, "it happened quite frequently during the days that I asked if you spent the evening with Lucy on a date."
A bead of sweat trickled down Gru's face.
Silas tapped his foot. "Come on, what was the reason?"
"I…I…" Gru clenched his teeth, wiping his forehead. He glanced at Silas' unamused frown, before sighing, "I just wanted the villains to myself, okay?"
Turning away from the embarrassment, Gru continued, "Lucy is so cool and calm, much more sociable than I am. And I love that about her…but if she came, their attention would be on her."
Silas pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is absurd."
"I know…" Gru bowed his head, "Lucy and villainy do not mix–"
"No, you are absurd," Silas snapped, prodding Gru's chest, "you are jealous of your own wife?"
Chest clenching, Gru stammered, "No, it's not like that–"
"Then what other way is it?" Silas crossed his arms, shaking his head when Gru couldn't give him a direct answer, "I thought you respected her."
"Of course I do!" Gru snapped back.
Meanwhile, relaxing in the other room, Lucy giddily wrote a bucket list of several things that crossed her mind to steal. Sizzle sat on her lap, snoring away as she petted his tiny head. She labelled the Taj Mahal and London Eye as near-impossible, but circled over and over the emerald reactor at the AVL submarine and the blimp.
The Sixties Supers really believed she could pull it off. She glanced ahead with a determined smile. Of course she could, what's stopping her?
After filling the last white space on the paper, Lucy tugged open the drawer once again and rummaged for more. One document stashed inside caught her eye, labelled Paul and Elizabeth Wilde.
She gulped, feeling a lump wedge inside her throat. This document hadn't made an appearance since the AVL officially closed her parents' case. Even after putting up a fight to save it, Lucy eventually understood. The case went nowhere.
With a sigh, Lucy opened the document. A picture of them greeted her, attracting a melancholic smile. They always took a professional picture of themselves at the crime scene they solved, usually with a villain comedically defeated in the background. But this one in particular - it was just the two of them. Gleeful. Strong. Alive.
Her eyes skimmed the paragraph below:
Subjects: Agents Paul and Elizabeth Wilde.
Brief: December 20 1979, both agents declared missing out in the field. Mission involved investigating the mysterious disappearances of several scientists from Apex Labs. December 23 1979, both agents were found dead near Pier 13.
Case status: Closed. No identified suspect.
Her stomach could only take the first summary page. There were several more with investigations and small evidence documents that led nowhere. But it felt much thicker than the last time she held it.
Pursing her lips, Lucy realised…
Even retired, Silas never stopped searching.
She smiled. Even as an orphan, she always looked up to Silas like a father-figure. It was never declared or made official, but as soon as she joined the league, he could've easily been mistaken for her father with his protectiveness.
And speaking of Silas, she heard his voice rise slightly in the other room.
"Does respect translate to jealousy in your books?" Silas glared.
Gru furrowed his brows as he mocked, "The last time I checked, you were pretty jealous that I caught her attention after joining the league."
Silas growled, almost desperate to punch the man, "Why you–"
"Ladies, calm it down," Lucy popped up behind them. She lay both hands on their shoulders, chuckling, "what's going on?"
Gru's shoulders relaxed. His anger dissolved, saving his energy to hold his wife's hand. "Nothing, sweetie. I was just about to ask Silas if he could help us with the break in."
Silas stared at him like he'd squeezed the head off his dog. "Excuse me?"
Ignoring their previous argument, Gru explained, "There's a cure hidden in Apex Labs, and I figured since you have knowledge of the outside area, you could–"
"You are really pushing buttons today, Gru," Silas snarled.
Heat spread across his nape. Gru sighed, "Silas, please–"
"It's Mr. Ramsbottom."
Gru widened his eyes, closing his mouth. Wow…he really did anger him. Then again, he couldn't blame the man. Glancing at his giddy wife, Gru frowned. He deserved it. How could he keep this lie from her?
Meanwhile, Lucy held back a laugh. For years, she had no idea how he kept a straight face whilst announcing his name. Ramsbottom. What a name.
Bouncing on her heels, Lucy shrugged, "Y'know, you don't have to help us on this heist."
Silas scoffed. "I know I don't."
"You can help us on others!" Lucy showcased her written list of heist ideas, pacing across the room as she listed them, "Paradise Mall is a good start, and then we can jump to the Bank of Evil. That Perkins guy is a nasty piece of work, so I'd like to give him a piece of me!"
Silas zoned out as Lucy listed each villainous crime. Gosh, this really wasn't the Lucy he knew and partially raised. He glanced between his agents, completely different compared to the last time he saw them. Gru, now silent after being shut down. At the end of the day, they were, and would always be, his family.
Whilst Lucy continued her villainous extravaganza, something flashed in the background. Silas caught Gru holding up his phone, pointing at the bright note he'd quickly typed out:
Da Vinci transferring - Lucy could be Director!
"What?" Silas' frown rapidly switched to a grin. He faced Lucy, his chest swelling with joy, "Why didn't you just say so?"
"I just did," Lucy folded the paper, hands on her hips with a determined beam, "which heist d'ya wanna take a hit at first?"
Gru swiped a hand over his throat. Puzzled at first, Silas' eyes widened. Oh, surprise.
"Shall we tackle the Labs first?" Silas coughed, finally realising, "I'm already familiar with the route."
Silas snuck another glare at Gru. With an anxious chuckle, Gru refocused his attention on his wife. He'd pay back Silas later. Right now, Lucy was the priority.
"Awesome!" Lucy punched the air, "Let's get heisting."
"Woah, hang on," Gru blocked her path, before pointing at her hoodie, "empty your pockets."
With an embarrassed smile, Lucy pulled out a golden necklace. "It must've slipped in there."
Sighing, Gru shook his head. "Villains don't steal from friends and allies."
Lucy nodded with a determined smile, about to head for the door. However, her husband stopped her again.
Gru raised his brows at her. He wasn't stupid. Especially after pulling off multiple scenarios like this before. Defeated, Lucy tugged the insides out of her pockets, multiple small objects worth a fortune spilling from her jacket. She rubbed the back of her nape, chuckling.
"Well I'll be darned," she joked, "how'd all that get in there?"
Though he was reluctant to drag it out from the garage, Silas found some comfort in using his old AVL van once again. Memories from his past missions, including his prime-time in the seventies and eighties, came rushing back as soon as he revved the engine.
Sat in the back were Gru and Lucy, suiting up for the mission. Knowing he had some sophisticated equipment in his Dad's villain suit to help with the heist, Gru slipped into the outfit without a second thought. As for Lucy, her wardrobe was limited in terms of villainous clothes. Luckily, she found a black hoodie and leggings used when they repainted their bedroom. At least the hoodie covered her bright hair. Better than nothing, right?
Whilst Silas navigated Apex Labs, Lucy sat on the bench near the back door. She faced Gru with an eager smile, nodding as they glossed over their plan.
But of course, a plan wasn't complete without the true rules of being a villain.
"To be a villain, you must understand the core of the villain," Gru began, pacing up and down. The van hit a bump on the road, almost knocking Gru off his feet.
Clearing his throat, he continued like nothing happened, "What is a villain? Well, in your eyes, you are the hero."
Silas rolled his eyes.
Gru clapped his hands. "Every heist has a reason. We are stealing the mercury so we can fix you and the other guys."
Tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration, Lucy scribbled on a notepad. "Got it."
Gru gently stole the pen from her hand. "No pen and paper."
Resting her chin across her hands, Lucy smirked, "I like a challenge."
Smirking at her confidence, Gru continued, "Now, when you're a villain, the target will be terrified about eighty percent of the time," he paused for effect, "but, you'll get the twenty percent that put up a fight - that's mainly us, or anyone who has guts."
"Like Edna, the cat lady!" Lucy gasped, grinning at the memory, "Got all those cats to attack the robber that snuck inside her house. We should've been careful of her, that's some cat whisperer magic right there."
Gru smiled. "Good, use examples and motivations," he motioned for Lucy to stand, "because you'll have to be intimidating and know how to put up a fight."
Shaking out her shoulders, Lucy smirked, "I already know the right level of cool and intimidating."
Gru held up a finger. "As a hero. It didn't work when you tried to rob that store."
Cracking her knuckles, Lucy thought for a moment. Then, with a beam, she readied herself. "Okay…got it."
She turned around, exhaling. Whipping out her lipstick tazer, Lucy whirled around, "Stay back, and let me take your stuff. Or I'll unleash a world of pain on you."
The giggles slipped out afterward. The goofiness of her personality stuck even as a villain. Endearing as it was, it wouldn't be enough.
"Ehh, not bad," Gru faked a smile. He tapped his lip, thinking. What could infuriate her? Really bring the rage out of her sunny side?
"You know, I've been thinking," Gru began, "that weapon Da Vinci verified for use against villains? She could use it against us."
Lucy scoffed. "She wouldn't have the knowledge to use a pistol of all things," she sat on the table, twirling the abandoned pen between her fingers, "and if she comes within a ten mile radius with that thing, she's gonna be sorry."
Silas glanced in the rear-view mirror. "No sitting on there."
Lucy slipped off the table, sitting in the designated seat instead. "Oop, sorry."
Gru continued, avoiding any distractions, "All those villains who deserve a second chance, like me, won't be able to."
Lucy tightened her grip around the pen. "Don't get me started."
Gru lowered his voice for effect, "They won't be able to hear their children or their grandchildren, all because of that weapon."
Closing her eyes, Lucy clenched her jaw. "Y'know what? I'll add another thing to that heist list," the way she rose from the chair with such frustration, how her eyebrows knitted, unnerved Gru, "I'm gonna make sure she doesn't get that transferral. And then, I'll steal that weapon and use it against her. Against whoever created that weapon."
Gru cleared his throat, "Maybe not that far."
A cold chuckle escaped her lips. "They wouldn't know."
The van hit another bump in the road. Gru steadied himself against the wall. "Lucy–"
"They won't hear it coming," she snapped the pen in half.
Gru grabbed her hand, "Okay, that's more than enough–"
All of a sudden, she whirled around. One hand grasped his jacket. She pinned him against the van, the other hand balled into a fist. "Look, you're either with me or with them."
Gru blinked, trying not to tremble. He remembered Nefario's words: Once the ray hits the subject, the mind is tampered with. Her mind will keep indulging in villainous thoughts until she becomes truly evil.
Including turning on you.
He glanced at her hair - another ringlet turned black.
Letting out a shuddery breath, Lucy released him. She covered her mouth, eyes widened. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that, are you okay?"
"Mmhm," Gru forced a smile, using all his strength to ignore the piercing pain in his shoulder blade.
"Oh sweetie, you're not," Lucy winced as she smoothed a hand over his shoulder. Her other hand brushed through her hair as she shook her head, "I dunno what came over me. It felt good," she then chuckled, "and pretty bad."
The mini accomplishment was short-lived, as her attention dived straight back to her husband. Although, she couldn't help asking, "Did I do good?"
"Uh…yep," Gru murmured, "definitely on the right track, but we're going to…tone it down just a little."
Lucy punched the air. "Awesome!"
Flicking the indicator, Silas shook his head. "Please find that mercury, for goodness sake."
