Jez: 1)I don't get it? I was simply pointing out that it was the same one from behind the humvee. 2) Couldn't come up with the word I wanted. I'll fix it later. 3) Poor choice of description. Something else to be changed. 4) I added a scene that does that. 5) Too true. 6) Lines of communication, and she thought he was working with Lucre. 7) I got a bit over enthusiastic, but I've had it happen to me before. Not quite so hard mind you, but still...
---
"So, we finally get to see your new estates." Ron grinned. The bus turned into the driveway, slowing down to a near crawl, as it moved across the gravel drive. Getting stuck would not be fun, requiring a crane to lift them out. Even separating the three pieces. Moving closer to the house, Shego laughed.
"What a house." She grinned. White siding, with angled pieces over the doors to shed water, and a large balcony on the second floor. A pair of cars, one long and black, the other shorter, and a bit more modern, sat parked in a turn around. Slowing even further, to less than two miles an hour, Adam brought the bus to a stop, just clear of the turn around, to give them room to move. "Guess we'll have to go in to find out what's up." She said, standing up, and heading for the door.
"Wait." Kim called. "Doesn't this smell funny?" She asked Shego shook her head.
"No, does it to you?" Kim nodded. "Genny? Is there anyone in the house?"
"Yes, two people. Geraud, and another man." She reported. "The other man is carrying a briefcase. Running plate numbers. The larger car is yours, or it will be, it's currently part of the estate. The other car is Geraud's." Shego looked at Kim.
"Feel better?" She sighed.
"A bit, but I still think we're missing something important, I just don't know what it is." She shrugged. "Guess we'll have to go in and find out." Kim started to follow Ron and Shego, but stopped at the door. "Coming?" She asked Adam.
"After I park Behemoth." He replied. She shrugged, and headed down the stairs. She caught the other two as they entered the front door. Geraud was standing there, along with the other man.
"Hello, Countess. Miss Possible, Monsieur Stoppable." He nodded, and looked around. "Where is?"
"Parking the... our transportation." Kim replied. She didn't feel like explaining Behemoth to him just at the moment.
"Ah, no matter... This is Henri, you're aunt's lawyer." He waved to a dark haired older man, who stepped forward and bowed.
"So, you are the fortunate heiress to the family title and lands. It is a pleasure to see that one beauty passes to another." He waved to a portrait on the wall. The woman looked remarkably like Shego, except with hair that was closer to Kim's. It was also drawn into a bun. Shego shuddered mentally.
"It really does." Ron smiled, winking at Kim. Shego flushed. She wondered what the hell was going on, this wasn't like her. She realized what it was. The compliments. She was used to the ones Adam gave, almost entirely hollow, despite him wanting to mean them, it was a character flaw of his. Everything sounded hollow, no matter how much emotion he put behind it. She wasn't entirely sure way. She made a mental note to find out, and soon.
"Thank you. So I need to sign some papers?" She asked. Henri held up his briefcase, and opened it.
"Just sign where indicated, and I'll have them filed." He offered her his briefcase as a board, and she signed, using her full name. Half the trick was fitting it on the line. When she finished, he stamped them, and slipped them back into his case. "Congratulations Countess." He bowed, and turned to Geraud. "See you Sunday." He smiled and left. Geraud turned to Shego.
"Is there anything you need at the moment?" He asked. She shook her head.
"No, thank you for the offer. One thing? Can you maintain control of the house and it's finances? I'd like to have access to them, but I'm not..." Shego trailed off. He laughed sympathetically.
"Not the financial type?" He asked. She nodded. "Neither was your aunt. It seems to be a family trait. Of course I'll do that for you. It's part of the contract my family signed with yours. Do you have self-control? Or would you like your aunts precaution of only having access to ten percent of available funds?" He asked smiling. She took a breath.
"I think, considering certain past events, I'll be going for the ten percent access." She grinned. He laughed. "Where is Adam at?" She asked. Genny appeared, startling Geraud.
"Still trying to park. I swear, the man can't drive for shit." She winced. "Excuse me." She commented to Geraud, and curtsied. He nodded back.
"Of course." He replied, a bit stunned. There was a resounding crash, and a car alarm. Genny sighed.
"Don't worry, I know a place that's great with car bodies." She told Geraud, as his eyes widened, recognizing the alarm.
"Thank you." He smiled weakly. Shego sighed.
"I'll pay for it." Shego told him, as a second crunch came. Genny vanished, presumably to assist Adam. Or kill him. At that moment, Shego would have gladly accepted either.
---
Standing, hours later on the balcony above the front door, Shego laughed. "What?" Adam, arms wrapped around her from behind asked, nibbling at her ear.
"It seems, more impressive than all the lairs somehow." She replied.
"What does?" He asked, nibbling lower along the ear.
"This house, the grounds. All of it. I'm just..." She yelped, as he nipped at her neck. "Not used to it I guess."
"Oh." He replied, kissing his way back upwards.
"What was that place?" She asked.
"What place?" He replied.
"The one that I found you at yesterday. After you were nearly killed." He snorted, making her shiver.
"I wasn't nearly killed, but I know what you mean. That place is... It's called Citadel. It is a flying city." He shrugged.
"How does it stay up? It was positively huge." She replied.
"A combination of anti-gravity engines, and huge turbines. Fully loaded, on the ground, it would weigh upwards of six million tons. As it is, it weighs in at around twenty-five hundred pounds, considering the AG. It's two hundred and fourty stories from ground level, to the top of the centrifuge, in the middle, which keeps the whole thing balanced. Wind is a slight problem, but it's lashed down, and windmills along the top, provide power to a set of massive turbines that counter act the wind." He smiled against her skin, making her shiver again. He pulled her tighter against him, as the wind swept across them.
"What's there?" She asked.
"UCS. That's their headquarters, and main processing facilities. It houses two airfields, and hangar space for a two hundred fighters. It's also home to Shield Guard. They're trained with large energy shields, as bodyguards, both for UCS officials, and others, such as visiting heads of state, or those from other companies. Citadel moves almost constantly, since the only place it can set down is in the middle of the Pacific. Cloud generators keep it in an eternal cloud. It looks that way from below, but from above it uses a lightbending cloaking device. Actually, it's a set of camera's on the bottom, that transmit to lightscreens on top, but they don't like it to be thought so simple. It also houses construction facilities, and other things. Including housing." He shrugged.
"Oh. Why were they calling you commander?" She asked.
"I work for UCS, and that's my official rank. They maintain a private military, so I'm a commander. I was offered Lord General, but they've already got four of those." He giggled. The wind shifted, sharp and cold. "Let's go back in, and finish what we started. They should be fairly well along, if they aren't done yet." She laughed again, as they walked into the house.
---
"Are you serious?" Shego asked. They were each carrying luggage, and Adam had a long case strapped to his back.
"Of course I am Shego." Kim laughed. "Giant Mutant Weinerdogs." Ron grinned.
"My squirrel call turned out to be a great Giant Mutant Wienerdog call." He laughed.
"Does that make it a Giant Mutant Wiener whistle?" Adam asked, stepping into a clearing. The other three laughed.
"Guess so." Ron replied.
"Is this the place?" Kim asked. A glance with mage-vision showed nothing unusual.
"It is, can't you feel the difference in the air?" He asked. She shook her head.
"The veil between realities is thin here. Chances are this clearing is haunted on Halloween." Adam set the luggage on the ground. "Obvius foris alio!" The silver shimmering in the air was not exactly inviting, but it didn't seem dangerous. "After you, it'll close after I pass." The three stepped through, and he followed, the portal shimmering, and disappearing, as they landed on the soft grass. "Common Room my foot. I'm going to kill him."
"Sort of gives new possibilties to the term, kill yourself." Ron giggled, from his position on the bottom of the pile.