(Cut to some bedroom. A large form is sleeping on the bed, hidden from view. Suddenly-.)

Veeken: (off-screen; softly) Ratigan…

(Obviously, the sleeping person is Ratigan.)

Ratigan: (Muttering in his sleep) Insane cupcakes…

Veeken: Ratigan…

Ratigan: Five more minutes, mother…

Veeken: (loudly) RATIGAN!!!

(Ratigan sits up straight in bed {Still wearing his usual outfit. Hello, content raters!}, then pulls the covers over his head, terrified. Pull out to reveal that Veeken's standing next to the bed, wearing her normal clothes, this time wearing sunglasses.)

Veeken: (inquisitively) Is it the sunglasses, 'cause I kinda get that a lot. (sighs; to Ratigan) It's okay, they're only sunglasses.

Ratigan: (poking his nose out from under the blanket) Sunglasses?

Veeken: (lowering her sunglasses slightly.) Yeah. What do they look like?

Ratigan: (starting to explain) Well, you see, I thought you were some sort of brown-haired-(recognizes Veeken; contemptuously) You.

Veeken: (not seeming to care) Yeah, me. Got an issue with that?

(Ratigan looks amazed, and not a little surprised. No one's really talked to him like that before. Veeken turns and walks out of the room. A moment, then Ratigan follows her out the door, stalking her more like a spy, hiding behind things when she looks around, then reappearing when she isn't. Cut to the main computer room where we saw Veeken earlier. Veeken sits down calmly and starts typing. Ratigan creeps in, and stands there, supposedly unnoticed until-.)

Veeken: (cont) Don't think I don't know you're there.

(Ratigan's jaws literally hits the floor. After it comes back up, he starts towards Veeken.)

Ratigan: (clearly trying to ask "How did you do that?") How did you-? I was just-! There's no way-!

(Ratigan keeps trying to make his statement, but Veeken turns around in the chair and holds out her Kimmunicator. There is a model of the ship's interior, and there are two dots in the same room, one labeled "Ratigan", the other "Veeken". Both are close together, almost overlapping.)

Veeken: The Kimmunicator's GPS system.

Ratigan: (not truly satisfied) Oh.

(Veeken calmly turns around and goes back to work.)

Ratigan: (trying to get more answers) Listen, whoever you are, do you know who I am?

(A profile of Ratigan appears on the computer.)

Veeken: Professor James Antonius Ratigan, leader of the European crime ring.

(Ratigan is surprised.)

Ratigan: Right… (to himself) Mysterious girl: One. Me: Zilch. (Out loud) Is there anything else you happen to know, Ms. Cleopatra?

Veeken: Infamous criminal mind, intellectual, former Cambridge University professor and temporary owner of the Mathematical Chair of one of England's universities.

(Ratigan is just shocked now.)

Ratigan: Fine, game, set, match.

(The profile disappears.)

Ratigan: (cont) And just how do you know so much about me, dare I ask?

Veeken: Trade secret.

(A beat. Ratigan throws up his hands, defeated.)

Ratigan: (frustrated) Forget it.

(There is a moment of silence.)

Ratigan: (cont) So… Where're you from?

Veeken: (matter-of-factly) The future.

Ratigan: (surprised) Really-?

(He stops and calms down.)

Ratigan: (faking composure) I mean, really?

Veeken: Yep.

Ratigan: You know, I kind of figured it out from the strange device you happen to be operating.

Veeken: You mean, the computer?

Ratigan: A computer? Really? (examining the keyboard) I actually expected it to be a bit smaller, or at least have more colorful buttons.

(He accidentally presses one labeled "Nacho Dispenser Button". A tray of nachos appears on the dash, though Ratigan leaps back, expecting it to be a bomb.)

Veeken: Could you please try not to touch anything?

(Ratigan sees it's just a tray of nachos, and turns to look at Veeken.)

Ratigan: What? It's not as if it was a bomb! (beat) Was it?

Veeken: No, just nachos.

Ratigan: Oh... nachos, ay?

Veeken: Yes. Now, like I said before, don't touch anything!

Ratigan: What? (chastising) Listen, madam, I don't wish to lecture but don't you think you should show a little more respect-.

(Veeken suddenly leaps up from her seat and pins Ratigan to the wall, his arms pinned behind his back.)

Ratigan: (cont; in pain) Or not.

(Veeken lets him go, and goes back to typing on the computer. Ratigan rubs his wrists in pain.)

Ratigan: (cont) That killed! Ow…

(Ratigan walks up next to Veeken.)

Ratigan: (cont) So, what do you want with me?

Veeken: What makes you think I want something from you?

Ratigan: Well, let me think: Firstly, if you wanted, you could've left me to Scotland Yard. Secondly, I have seen you, which is possibly something you don't want. Thirdly-.

(Veeken turns around, causing Ratigan to shut up.)

Ratigan: (quickly changing the subject) What happened to that other girl that was with you?

(Veeken turns back to the computer and brings up a window, revealing Des walking over a bridge. The camera pans in as she turns around suddenly, but no one's there. She turns around again, and there stands a guy with a sword.)

Sword Man: Lovely night for a walk.

(Des beats him up and throws him over the bridge.)

Des: Friggin' loser!

Ratigan: Well, that explains a lot.

(The camera pans back out to the room.)

Ratigan: But what does this have to do with me? Because if you wanted me to help stop that guy, don't you think you're a little late? (laughs)

Veeken: Absolutely nothing.

Ratigan: Ah.

(The Kimmunicator suddenly projects holograms of Drakken, Shego, Killigan, and the Jackal.)

Veeken: Recognize them?

Ratigan: (nodding furiously) Yes! (pointing to Shego) She's the one who-!

Veeken: (finishing for him) Attacked you?

Ratigan: Yes! But who are the others?

Veeken: (pointing to each of them as she speaks) This is Drakken. He escaped from the Middleton High Security Prison a few days ago. Shego, the one who attacked you and-

Ratigan: Used me as a rodent shield?

Veeken: Yes, that. Anyway, she is Drakken's partner in crime, and is usually not far from him. Duff Killigan is a rogue golfer, who was banned from every known golf course in the world for excessive temper.

Ratigan: Well, then what's his modus operendi, eh? Exploding golf balls?

(A beat.)

Veeken: Yes, it is.

(Ratigan turns and looks into the camera. Metaphorically speaking, he's not exactly in Kansas anymore.)

Veeken: And this is Jackie Oaks, a.k.a. "The Jackal".

(A circular holographic projection screen appears, showing the Jackal in his transformed form, roaring. Ratigan gulps audibly.)

Ratigan: (trying {and failing} to not seem scared) So... What does this have to do with me?

Veeken: It's very simple. We want you to help us stop these crooks.

Ratigan: And why should I do this?

(Veeken turns to face him.)

Ratigan: (cont) I mean, what do I owe you?

Veeken: Aside from your memory?

Ratigan: What?

Veeken: What I'm saying is that I could've left you there and erased your memory back then, but I didn't.

Ratigan: (taken aback) Oh. Well... I don't know.

Veeken: Why don't you?

(Ratigan doesn't answer. There is a moment of silence, then-.)

Ratigan: I can't go home, then?

Veeken: Do you have a home to go to?

Ratigan: Well... No, I guess not...

Veeken: Well, you'd better get some sleep. Tomorrow's your first day of training.

Ratigan: Training?

Veeken: You'll see in the morning.

(Ratigan walks out of the room, while Veeken watches him go. Des walks in.)

Des: Veeken?

(No response.)

Veeken: He's not dad... But he has the potential to be a good man.

(Fade to Ratigan uneasily sleeping in the room he woke up in.)

Veeken: (cont) He just needs the chance...

To Be Continued...