Hi all! Kali speaking! This is the second and final part to Not Evil, Only evil. Yeah, the title is dinky. But that shall all be fixed soon. Yea!
Sylvia walked into work the next morning, coffee in hand, cursing every being that had convinced her to go to that infernal Evil-con. She was dead tired, jumpy, and had to watch her back in case somone was tailing her. She didn't think anyone was, but you can never be too sure...
So when she sat at her desk and dived into a sea of paperwork, she was, to say the least, angry when someone had decided to speak and thus demand that she actually pay attention to etiquitte.
"Seems like hard work."
Sylvia looked up from a particularly wordy bit of contract. "Yes? Are you offering to take it all off of my hands?" She had already spoken by the time she looked up and saw Derrick staring down at her. She glared back, livid.
"Now, now. That isn't any way to speak or look at your new boss. Care to try that again?"
Sylvia gasped. "That was my promotion! You bastard! I'll get you one day!" she hissed. In a much lighter tone she continued, "Oh, my new boss? That sure is pleasant! I hope you fit right in here at Steinweir, Slugg, and Averey. We're a very socially oriented legal office, where the bosses are half expected to get their own hands dirty. I know you're the type of person who we will find a valuable contribution to our efforts to make this a more harmonious and law-abiding city." Sylvia finished her little training-video speech with a grin that seemed a tad large for her head.
Derrick laughed lightly as he turned around and walked into his corner office. "I don't plan on doing any of that. You should plan on a regime change." And with that, the door closed ominously, and Sylvia was left with her paperwork.
"I'm sorry, Mister President, I can't accompany you to the flamingo ball. I need to go drive my paperwork to the shop to get the ink realigned, and then I have to go paint the sky. But the second Tuesday of the eighth week of July works for me. How about you?"
The President of the Agriculture club looked at Sylvia, then took his hand out of his pocket. He flipped the pages of his hand, checking the date, when Sylvia heard another voice.
"If you ever plan on seeing this wonderfully polite woman alive, Titans, you'll meet me at the usual spot on the docks. No police, no wires, and no other people. Just you and the money. See you Thursday."
Sylvia looked around. "Mister president, I need to go check on my new satin desk. He's not old enough to be out on his own. He might start a fire. I'll see you around."
Sylvia opened her eyes. "Uhhngg... Sleeping on paperwork was not one of my better ideas. Contracts make horrid pillows." Sylvia lifted her head, stretching her neck to get rid of the kinks, and sighed when she saw the watermark on the papers, no doubt from a stream of drool. "Today is not one of my days," she said under her breath. She sighed when she saw the clock, which boasted a time of 11:53.
Sylvia grabbed her purse and stood up, when she heard a click from the corner office. The door was slightly open, so Sylvia saw no harm in investigating. She peered through the crack in the door, to see Mell, the temp, wrapping her arms around a tall man with a bronze and black uniform...
"Slade, that was spectacular. I can't belive you kept your face straight." Mell giggled slightly.
"Not that hard, considering the mask. I'm just happy you looked adiquately afraid. I don't want the Titans catching on that you're in no harm." Slade walked out of Sylvia's view for a moment, but came back soon, holding a camcorder. He popped the tape out and dropped the tape into an envelope.
Mell tried to hug Slade again. "How about a little celebration, Slade?" Mell stood on her toes to whisper something in Slade's ear that Sylvia wasn't sure she wanted to hear. Slade, on the other hand, appeared to enjoy it. He put one arm around Mell's waist, and with the other, ripped his mask off.
Sylvia stood in shock for a moment. Slade was-- Derrick was-- Her boss was-- one in the same. Sylvia couldn't move for a moment. Then her brain kicked in and made Sylvia quickly take off her heels, so that she could run faster and quieter. Soon, she was in her apartment, shaking Adriana awake.
"Hnzzghhhuh? Whaddizit?"
"I was attacked after Evil-con, I threatened him and invited him to lunch, he turns out to be my new boss, and to top it all off, he's Slade."
Adriana stared at Sylvia. "Did you just get home from work? You know the doctor said no more all nighters. Its putting your body under a lot of stress, and then you start to get dellusional."
"Adirana, my dreams involve flamingo balls and pet satin desks with a thing for fire. Not Slade, or my boss. Who are the same person."
"You're right. Your Slade dreams are rarely so PG rated as that story. So what are you going to do?"
Sylvia paused for a moment. "Quit, I guess."
"Good. Get to sleep. Now."
"Hey! Who's the adult in this house?"
"I don't think either of us are. Good night."
Sylvia paused just outside of Adriana's door. "Sweet dreams. And no pulling all nighters until you're fourteen."
"I'm turning fourteen in five months."
"Fifteen then. And when you're fifteen, it'll be sixteen."
"I smell a pattern."
"Sleep well." Sylvia left Adriana, and went to sleep in her work clothes.
Sylvia tried to give herself some courage as she walked past her desk and straight for Derrick's--Slade's office. She told herself that she was doing what was right. What was safe. What wouldn't get her charged with accesorry to an abduction. (A/N: That is the extent of my legal-fu. Sorry all. I just know what I've learned from Law & Order.) She shouldn't be afraid. That would be impractical. And tactless. People can smell fear. She could smell the fear coming off of her self. Or maybe that was the shampoo...
And before she was ready, Sylvia stood in front of the wooden door that seperated her from one of the most dangerous criminals in the city. She took in a breath to calm herself, then knocked.
"Come in." Sylvia entered, closing the door behind her. "Sit down. I don't want you to be uncomfortable in my office."
"Oh, ha ha ha. Very funny. As if I'm not already uncomfortable. And I won't be staying here long enough for that." Sylvia paused to breathe in again, then set down the papers she had drawn up that morning. "Here is my resignation."
Derrick picked the papers up, skimming them. "What, no two weeks notice?"
"As it says in paragraph three, I cannot allow myself to work in this enviornment any longer until the unethical and unlawful practices going on are halted. There is no room for argument." Sylvia turned to leave. Before she opened the door, she said, "If I were you, I wouldn't tape false ransom notes in my office with my door open. Goodbye."
Adriana opened the door on Thursday, at eleven thirty. "One moment sir, Sylvia is indisposed right now. Do come in while I inform her you're here." Adriana rushed into Sylvia's room. "Hey! Wake up! Someone's here for you!"
Sylvia rolled away from Adriana, who was shaking her. "Number one, it's before noon, and in my new schedule, I do not wake up before noon unless it is for you. Number two, I don't know any men. Number three, it's the middle of summer. Why would anyone spend their precious vacation time with a currently jobless woman?"
Adriana sighed dramatically. "Yes, it is before noon. But you need to shower, and this man seemed eager to see you. So get out of bed!" She pulled the bed covers off with a flourish and grabbed Sylvia's legs, pulling her onto the floor.
"Alright, alright. I'll get up. Go and distract him while I shower."
Fifteen minutes later, Sylvia came into the kitchen. When she saw her guest, she groaned inwardly. Derrick and Adriana were playing some card game, and he was laughing maniacally. "Should I be worried?"
Adriana looked up from her hand. "No, not really. He's just played a megomaniacal laugh card. It's tradition that you laugh in a maniacal fashion. Do you want to introduce me to your nice friend here? He's very tolerant of gamers."
"Adriana, this is my boss, Derrick Covert. Derrick, this is my niece."
Adriana's eyes widened. She pointed at Derrick. "This is the guy you acidentally nearly killed? Why? Yummy much!"
"Sadly, though your aunt says otherwise, she was nowhere near causing me bodily harm. Severe physical discomfort, and much mental scarring, but no bodily harm. And I play down Industrial Stregnth Rubber Bands, therby finishing my Hypertime Elixir." Derrick put down a card, then collected the ones that were already down and put them in the discard pile.
"Adriana, if you utter the word 'yummy' in regards to anything other than my cooking, I shall ground you. And even go so far as to enforce it." Sylvia turned, much to her dislike, to Derrick. "Why are you here?"
"Lunch. You invited me when you were trying to convince me to stay away last week. Rather counter intuitive."
"Oh, shoot. I'll have to nuke something then. What would you prefer, spinach ravioli or fetuccine gorbanzo?"
"Ooh! Aunt Sylv! Nuke the ravioli! We haven't had it in forever!" Adriana said, coming out of her game long enough to squeal at the thought of ravioli.(A/N: Mmmmmm... Ravioli...)
Sylvia smiled slightly and put the box in the microwave. When it beeped at her, she took the box out and scooped the contents onto three plates. She placed them on the table, which had been cleaned just enough to allow food. The three of them ate in silence, except for the occasional card played by Adriana or Derrick. When the plates were empty, Sylia and Adriana took them from the table and went to wash them.
"Sylv, do you want me to leave?" Adriana whispered.
"No way. I need you to stay bymy side." Sylvia put the plates back in the cuboard, then turned to her guest. "You have had lunch. Is there any reason that you are still sitting in my apartment?"
"Suprisingly, yes. And it isn't even related to your figure."
"Gasp. Tell it to me now so you can get back to your job."
"Adriana, would you please leave the room? I have some buisness to discuss with your aunt, and it is rather sensitive." Adriana left. "Now, you cannot object to my buisness until you have heard it all." Without even letting Sylvia agree, he got up from his seat and kissed her.
"I'm going to pretend--"
"No. I told you to listen. Now that that is out of the way, I must go on. You know that my other buisness is a rather deadly one. The company--"
"Company!"
"--could use your help. Your skills at finagling documents are spectacular. You also have slight violent tendancies, and a brain in your head that is used often. I can offer you a six figure salary," Sylvia gasped, "dental, healthcare, and a retirement fund. You will be twisting laws until our practices are actually legal. And possibly calling up illegal acts of our competitors. How does it sound?"
"Insane."
"Now, now. Don't be mean to your boss."
"I'm safe. I'm unemployed."
"You will get better treatment than any other of my corperate lackeys. And free dinners, starting tomorrow at six."
"No. I can turn down free dinners, especially those that are posed as dates. And I can refuse a job. I don't care if you happen to enjoy my company, or that frankly, I happen to have wished for this moment for the past year. You are a murderer, a known villain, and you have followed me. You have committed countless acts of violence and evil, and I can't do that. I will happily assault a person in self defense, but I don't do evil. I have a niece, who is looking up to me. I have morals, and ethics, and I have read the laws and know how little a court case can go on. I will not twist the laws that are here to protect the innocent in order to allow others to endanger the innocent. I cannot allow myself to work for somone who hurts others for his own gain." Sylvia paused, breathing. "I think you have overstayed his welcome."
Derrick looked at Sylvia. "I really do love you. You could have done so much..." Derrick left Sylvia's apartment.
Sylvia walked over to her couch and sat down, wondering what she had just turned away.
Wow. That took forever. I had promised Semine that I would have this done by Sunday, but hey, you can't rush creativity. The fact that this was halfway written in my head should be ignored.
Review, people! I need your love! Please?
And tell me what about it you like. Or dislike. Or feel neutral about.