"But unfortunately…
I'm in the wrong prison cell
And the wrong company."
Flogging Molly, "Wrong Company"It was a beautiful Saturday morning, Kim waited in the food court of Middleton Mall for her best friend Monique. She was excited, for the result of her matchmaking plans was going to be revealed to her. Monique had been evil in making her wait till the morning to tell her about the date.
"Hey girl," the African American girl said, walking up to the small table Kim sat at.
"Spill it, all of it. If you leave anything out, I'm going to have to hurt you... what are you wearing?" Kim said seemingly in one breath.
"Well... we grabbed some killer sushi, we hit some amazing little shops and then ended up in the park on this hill overlooking Tuk-A-Land and the lake. It was amazing," Monique said with a sparkle in her eyes.
"Wow... just... wow. Go on," Kim said enthralled.
"Well, we spread out a blanket, he bought me ice cream. And when I got cold, he gave me his shirt," she smiled.
"Awww, that's so sweet!"
"Yeah... then we just... talked," Monique said, picking at the sleeve of the aforementioned shirt.
"What did you talk about?" Kim asked, curious. It was strange, she'd known Felix for about a year and she had never really talked to him.
"General stuff. Family, things we like. He told me about living in Idaho. I thought he'd go all quiet," she admitted.
"Go quiet...?" Kim asked confused.
Monique shrugged, "I asked him why he was in the wheelchair and he told me everything. It was like if you asked me why I like Club Banana clothing. Kim I just feel comfortable around him. It's like I can tell him anything."
"You are so totally glowing! I can't believe it went so well," Kim smiled. "Speaking of boyfriends, Ron was supposed to get similar scoop and meet me here... I wonder what's keeping him."
"Hey KP!" Ron said, running up to the table.
"Hey Ron," the girls said in unison.
"Hey Monique, have you talked to Felix today?" Ron asked, sitting down at the table.
"No, Kim said you were going to call him," she said.
"I did, twice. I figured he was either out, or he's sleeping through the phone."
"That's possible. Why don't we stop by his house later?" Kim suggested.
"Yeah. Monique, are you wearing Felix's shirt?" he asked.
OOO The trio walked up the ramp to the Renton's house. Ron stepped ahead of the girls and rang the doorbell. "Hmm. That's weird," Ron said after a few minutes. "What's weird?" Kim asked, trying to get a good look inside through the window. "Well, usually one of the robots answers the door..."A few moments of hesitation and another knock brought Dr. Alicia Renton to the door. She looked frazzled. She looked like she had both been crying and up all night making phone calls. "Oh! Ron… Kim… I was trying to reach you. I… I'm sorry I," she fumbled with her words as she stepped aside to let the three teenagers inside.
"What's wrong, Dr. Renton? Is Felix okay?" Ron asked.
"No… Felix was… he was kidnapped last night," Alicia said gesturing towards the burnt chair.
"Shego! I know these scorch marks anywhere!" Kim exclaimed, digging out her Kimmunicator. "Wade, we've got a kidnapping. Felix Renton went missing last night. There are scorch marks on his chair. Looks like Shego."
"I see… yes, she was defiantly spotted in Middleton last night. Do we have a note? Was there any reason to take him?" Wade said, typing out all the data.
"I don't know," Dr. Renton said in a small voice.
"Dr. Renton… they'll find him," Monique said, placing a comforting arm around the mother of the guy she kissed.
"I'm sorry… I… don't remember your name," Alicia said awkwardly to Monique.
"I'm Monique. Felix and I are… friends," she said. She didn't really lie. They were friends… that kissed yesterday. Of course, Monique would love to find out if they could become more, but a little kidnapping throws a wrench in anyone's plans.
OOO
Shego wasn't used to taking on freelance jobs for anonymous clients. But this job… well, it paid far too well for just a kidnapping. She frowned; this was the same guy that Drakken and Ed had stolen that wheelchair from. Months ago, she objected so greatly that they stoop so low but now… now she had him in custody, his wrists bound together with a plastic tie.
"Save the moral crisis for tomorrow… Make the drop, get paid and get out. Dr. D won't be in jail for long," she said mostly to herself.
"uuhn…"
"Awake already?" Shego mused and knelt down beside him.
"Who?" Felix mumbled as he rolled on his back to get a look at his captor.
"That doesn't concern you, Felix. This drop will be so quick that Kimmie and Stoppable won't be able to find you," she said proudly.
"Why? Why they want me?" he asked, slurring a bit. Shego felt a bit guilty about throwing him around. He might have a concussion.
"I don't ask questions, honey."
"You should. I'm…" he started. He looked pretty bad.
"What do you mean? You better tell me or-" Shego started, a glow coming to her hands.
"WitSec," he said, trying desperately to keep fear out of his voice.
"WitSec? Witness Protection? I'm intrigued now. Tell me," Shego said, sitting down beside him.
"I …can-... I can't. I'd be… shit," he said, cursing more under his breath.
Shego smiled triumphantly, "Oh this is good. Who are you? A foreign dignitary's son? International terrorist group member?"
"My… my name is Francis Damsey. I'm Irish. I… My… my father was Dr. Sean Damsey. He's… was a mathematician. He worked with Interpol on cases… it's…" Felix fumbled with his words, his accent slipping in and out. "I technically graduated high school at fourteen, about two weeks before my father was shot. I… was working on this thing… it wasn't supposed to be used for that… It was not ever meant for military use," his words came out rushed, his eyes seeing only the past. Shego wondered what the hell she got herself into.
"What is 'it'?" Shego asked, trying to get Felix- Francis- whoever, to stop rambling.
"It… it was a hobby. I had a theory and I was testing it out in my spare time. It was a series of small conduits… theoretically, it could say… make a person faster by stimulating nerve impulses," he said, she could practically see the wheels turning in his head.
"Wait… you made exo-skeleton armor? As a hobby?" she gasped.
"Not the whole… thing. Just, the back spine," he looked down.
Shego pondered his statement for a moment. It made sense, really. "Did it work? Did you walk?"
He mumbled something.
"What was that?" She prodded.
"I can walk- with crutches. Oh God they found me. Do you know how hard it is to walk away from that?" He said, his voice thick with emotion. "Not only am I not eighteen, American, a B- student, completely paralyzed… I… I just want to stop. I don't even know who I am anymore!"
Shego was amazed at the sheer emotion Felix was showing. She kidnapped him not twelve hours ago and now he was pouring his heart out in front of her. She too, had once had an identity crisis. Of course, she didn't have to pretend to be someone else for…
"How old are you?" she asked.
"Twenty… twenty-one, I can't remember anymore. Da was killed… about six years ago," he said, trying to wipe his face on his shoulder. "Could you… untie me? I'm not going anywhere," he said wearily.
Shego cut his bonds without thinking. He had a point. He couldn't really get up and run from her. Even if he was able to walk with aid, he could never hope to outrun her, especially since he had no idea where they were.
"Who hired you? I'd like to know who's going to use me," he asked running his wrists.
"I took an anonymous job. But I'm sure I can trace the call," she said, curious now.
OOO
Monique busied herself cleaning up the dishes in the Renton's kitchen. The cleaning robots weren't functioning. Monique decided that Dr. Renton had turned them off because they were bothering her. She sighed as she dried another cup. She could hear Felix's mom on the phone in the other room.
"He's gone David! This has to be related… You have no idea!" she all but shouted.
"David, look for him! I don't care if GJ is involved now! I want you to look into it! You're… you claim to be his father!" She slammed the phone down angrily.
"Dr. R? What's going on?" Monique asked quietly.
"I'm sorry you had to hear that. David… he works for the NSA. He doesn't know anything either. I shouldn't have yelled at him like that. He doesn't need this. We aren't married-" she took a deep breath. "You don't have to wait around here. Why don't you go home?"
"Not a chance. First of all, I'm just as worried as you are. Second, I don't think I could really do anything else right now. Third, I don't think you should be left alone," Monique replied, sitting on the couch.
"So, um… we could order takeout and… I can show you some embarrassing pictures of Felix," Alicia said. "I think I have an idea how close you and my son are, you're wearing his favorite shirt."
Monique smiled and told Dr. Renton about the date. "Dr. R? Do you think Kim and Ron will find him?"
"I think they're the only ones that can."
OOO
"This doesn't make any sense, Ron. Why would Shego take Felix? She left his wheelchair and Drakken and Motor Ed are still in prison, so who would want a paraplegic high school student?" Kim said, pacing around her room.
"Somebody isn't telling us everything," Ron said, watching Kim pace.
"Wade? Any news?" Kim asked her Kimmunicator.
"I can't say yet, Kim. Global Justice is sitting on important data," the ten-year-old genius said with a frown.
"GJ is withholding information from us? Why? It doesn't make any sense…. Wade, get us that information," Kim sighed and slumped back in her desk chair.
"I think we should talk to Felix's mom again. Maybe we could track down his dad."
"How about I talk to Dr. Renton and you find Mr. Renton. I know he lives in Denver. He and Felix aren't close, I guess they only talk a couple times a year," Ron said, standing up as Rufus hopped in his pocket.
OOO
"I guess this means that I'm not going to get paid," Shego snorted and looked around the empty warehouse. She shifted Felix on her shoulder. He was surprisingly light for someone of his size. At first he put up a fuss about being carried like "a sack of potatoes", but Shego was the one in charge in this situation.
"Look, if you help me, I'll do all I can to get you off the hook for this,' Felix said, trying not to move too much. "This isn't good. Why isn't there anyone here to pick me up?"
"I don't like this," Shego said, putting her hostage on the ground rather roughly.
A lone monkey scampered into the room. It squeaked a warning…
And then the whole wharehouse went up in flames.
OOO
Monique lay on her bed. It was almost ironic: the most untouchable girl in Middleton High finally finds a great honest guy and he disappears the next day. She tried to move on with her life after Felix.
But she just couldn't get him out of her head. Even after two weeks, she could hear him behind her. She could still see him asleep in the bus seat next to her. Felix.
Dr. Renton had been devastated. Her only son missing with no leads was driving her crazy. Monique often stopped over to check on Alicia. She helped her with some little things around the house. The two found comfort in each other.
Kim and Ron still hadn't found Shego. It was as if she had dropped off the face of the Earth. The two were now in Australia checking out a lead. It was almost too much to hope for, but they had to try.
Monique was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear her phone ring. "Hello?"
"Monique…" Kim's voice sounded strained.
"K-Kim? What happened?" Moniuqe said… her heart started beating faster.
"We… found Shego," Kim said, her voice thick with emotion. "She had him… and… was making a drop… they were attacked."
"What.. what are you trying to say, girl?"
"Shego and Felix were attacked by Monkey Fist… Shego barely made it out alive. We just talked to her… she's… in bad shape."
Monique's mind reeled. She suddenly felt sick. "Felix?"
"Felix is dead."
Monique dropped the phone and ran to the bathroom.
OOO
"They're gone now, Shego," Drew Lipsky a.k.a. Dr. Drakken said softly.
"Good," the villainess said sitting up. She usually hated trickery like this, but it was necessary this time. It was true that she had been burned when the warehouse collapsed, but hey comet-given powers took care of that quickly.
She unwrapped the bandages from around her head and let down her long hair. "How is he?"
"Still unconscious. He should wake up soon though," Dr. D said as he helped his assistant out of her bindings. "I don't see why you had to tell them he died."
"Simple, if he's dead, then he isn't worth any money," Shego replied pulling off the last bit of tape and stretching her arms. "What I don't understand is why you're so adamant on keeping him safe. Feeling guilty for stealing his wheelchair?"
"No," he said, "No. I knew his father very well. We were good friends, Sean and I. If I had known that Felix was his son then I probably wouldn't have sent Ed after him."
"What is going on, Dr. D? Is it because of that kid's invention?" she asked getting up from the bed.
"Yes… sort of. This exo-spine of his can not only bridge damaged parts together, but enhance already existing nerves. Think about it. If your reaction times are much faster, then you would be that much better of a fighter. Add to that some separate pieces of armor of the same make, a bit of a muscle relaxant and you've got a cheap human-powered cybernetic soldier."
"I see… so that's why Fisk wants his hands on it… robo-monkeys," she said thoughtfully. They had inadvertently wandered into the room where Felix lay asleep. The young man looked fragile in the large bed.
"I've called in a few favors… nobody seems to care anymore. I hope the boy wakes up soon… people will listen to him. Super villainy tends to alienate people against you."
"Maybe we should have told Kimmie…" Shego said, fixing the linens around their charge's still form.
"No. She wouldn't be able to take it. If she and Stoppable knew, then his mother would know and all their high school friends would know… too dangerous. It has to be like this."
"Since when did we care?" she asked softly.