Mission to Hell – Chapter 2
By
Dr. Mike Wendell
"The prisoners will sit in the chairs in front of the desk!"
Drakken turned back to the guard accompanying them and sneered. "The prisoners will sit in the chairs in front of the desk," he threw back at the guard. "Tell me, sir. Did you go to guard school to learn how to say that line? You do it so well."
The guard leaned in towards Dr. Drakken. "Look, pal. You're not… How should I say it… Real popular around here right now." He got nose to nose with the blue skinned man. "Give me an excuse. Please give me one. It would actually make my day. The thought of twisting you into a pretzel and then slow cooking you in batch of hot boiling oil like a potato chip actually appeals to me. So please give me an excuse." He cracked his knuckles in front of Drakken's now pale face.
Drakken backed away. "Um, sure officer. Shego? Why don't we do what the nice guard suggests and take a seat?"
"Whatever." Shego dropped herself onto one of the chairs, a leg stretched out over an arm, and began checking her nails. Drakken quickly took his seat beside her, sitting with his hands in his lap trying not to draw the attention of the guard. They only had to wait a few moments before the door opened behind them, surprising them both with the abruptness of the noise. They turned to watch the young, dark haired woman they both knew well walk forcefully into the room. She was dressed in a white button down shirt, dark blue jacket and dark pants, the creases still stiff down the front and backs of the legs. A crisp FBI photo badge hung from the jacket's chest pocket. Her freshly polished service revolver hung from her belt hidden by the jacket. She dropped a thick folder, filled with different colored sheets, onto the metal desk with a snap. She glared at her two assignments seated in front of her.
"Agent Benlove, what a pleasant surprise. You're looking lovely today. Have you had your hair done recently? How's dear old mom?" Drakken smiled at the young agent. He smiled harder when Agent Benlove glared back with a look of disgust on her face.
"Please. Drakken, you should know by now that trying to butter her up doesn't work." Shego flexed her fingers. "You know how much she loves those dark blue suits of hers. Prim. Proper." She paused to look at the young agent. "I bet even that hair bun of hers is regulation perfect."
The agent sat down behind the desk and removed her glasses from a pocket. "Mr. Lipsky…"
"Um, excuse me, Agent Benlove. That's Doctor Drakken if you please."
Agent Benlove stared at the blue man. "You got your doctorate from a local Seven Eleven. It's for drinking a dozen slurpies!"
"But it is a doctorate never the less."
Benlove scoffed. "Fine! Doctor Drakken. Whatever…" She opened the folder in front of her with a snap and turned over the coversheet. "And I thought I was going to have a good day chasing down wanted kidnappers or other felons but here I am once again stuck with the two of you. It hasn't been too long since the last time you where in here. What was it for again? The weather control device?"
Shego looked up. "Oh, I remember that one. That was a good one. No, I think last time was for stealing that truth ray. You remember, don't you?"
Drakken knocked a finger against his chin. "Hmm… No, I think it was for the Killer Bebes. I'm sure it wasn't…"
"Enough. I was being sarcastic. You know I joined the FBI to try to make a difference. Four years of college and two years of advanced training. Instead I'm stuck as your handler trying to make sense of…"
"Oh, please, Agent Benlove. Don't go all Scully on us."
Benlove glared at Shego for a moment before picking up the single sheet of paper from the stack in front of her. She scanned it quickly.
"Murder one. Murder of a Global Justice agent. Two counts attempted murder one. Conspiracy to commit murder. Assault and battery." She paused to look at the two of them. Drakken was sliding down in his chair as she read each charge. Shego just sat there inspecting her nails. "Looks like you two had some fun this time around." She returned to her reading. "Interfering with the actions of a Global Justice agent. Interfering with the ongoing investigation of a Global Justice agent. Multiple counts of terrorism and theft. Illegal use of electric power. Failure to register a spayed animal. Failure to…" She paused and silently reread the charges listed. "Failure to register a spayed animal?"
Drakken spoke up. "That must be for Fluffy. Honestly Agent Benlove. I've been meaning to go down to the Middleton city hall and pay the twelve bucks for the new license. I just haven't had the time. Been busy lately with all the take over the world schemes and all that. I promise first thing in the morning, I'll take care of it. First thing!"
"Told you that you should have taken care of it but do you ever listen to me? Nope. You would think that by now…"
Shego was interrupted with the metal click as Agent Benlove's lighter flipped open. They watched as Agent Benlove slowly and painfully put the flame to the bottom corner of the paperwork. As the paper burned, the agent slid an ashtray under the now engulfed paper. She watched emotionlessly as the fire consumed the report. She sighed as she stared at the remains filling the glass ashtray.
"I hate this part. Especially today. I actually had to buy that lighter and an ashtray to do that."
"That's nice. Can we go now?" Shego pointed at the door.
"I don't know what you gave the government years ago or what deal you worked out with them for it but…" She closed her eyes and sighed. "…you two are free to go."
"About time. You know, Doc. I still have to watch the end of CSI."
Drakken and Shego held up their cuffed hands to the guard. With a look of disgust, he removed the cuffs. The rubbed their wrists in an attempt to quicken the return of blood to their hands.
Agent Benlove looked over her glasses at the pair. "The funeral is at three this afternoon at the Middleton Temple. If it matters to you."
"Um, yes. Thank you for the information, Agent Benlove. I do hope that the next time we see each other, it'll be under better circumstances." Drakken gave a little wave. "Give my best to your mom." He smiled and nodded at the guard as they made their way out of the room. Agent Benlove, without looking up, flicked her head after them. The guard left the room leaving the young agent to her thoughts.
Agent Benlove sighed as she continued to stare at the burnt ashes. The thought of how the pile compared to the remains after cremation went through her mind. Benlove sighed, opened a desk drawer, pushed aside a collection of long overdue reports and removed the half full bottle of vodka she had previously hidden there. She removed the top and reached for a nearby empty glass. Her hand paused for a moment before she pulled it back. She raised the glass bottle in front of her.
"I guess I picked the wrong day to give up drinking."
She saluted the empty room in front of her before downing most of the contents of the bottle. Benlove leaned back in her chair and slowly rocked, lost in her thoughts.
Drakken stood outside of the Middleton FBI office and looked up at the sun. "I know we were only in there for less than three hours but…" He took a deep breath and let it out. "I love the smell of freedom in the morning. If we hurry, we can catch the express bus back to the lair. That way we don't have to pay for a cab. I knew I should have extended that deal to cover any henchmen. Come on, Shego. The quicker we get out of Middleton, the better. Always hated this city." We waved her forward and started quickly walking down the sidewalk.
"Dr D., I think we… I mean…"
Drakken turned back towards Shego. She stood on the sidewalk, her hands clasped in front of her, her head bowed.
"Shego, we have work to do." Shego didn't move. "Shego? Don't tell me…"
Dr. Drakken reached out a hand and lifted her head up. A single tear rolled down her face.
"Shego?"
"I've never… I mean I've never…" Her voice broke as the tears began. "I mean I was aiming for Possible…"
"Sheila?"
"It hit him and he just fell… He was burnt to a crisp… I didn't…"
Dr. Drakken wrapped his arms around her as she fell apart. They ignored the people gawking at them as Drakken held Shego for a few moments until the tears subsided.
"Thanks," Shego sniffed.
"Well, this is a change from what I just witnessed in the good agent's office."
Shego shrugged. "Would things have gone as well if I was falling apart?"
Drakken looked at her closely. "You need to go to the funeral, don't you?"
"They're going to hate us there though."
Drakken shrugged. "Probably. Wouldn't be the first time." He wrapped an arm around her and they walked off together.
"Now boys. I want the two of you to be on your best behavior today. This is a very important and solemn day, especially for Kim. No playing or trying to rewire the sound system at the temple. I mean it."
Jim turned to Tim.
"Hikka-bikka-boo?" Jim said in a low voice.
Tim sighed. "Hoo-sha." While they gave Ron a lot of trouble in the past due to his connection with their sister, both of them considered him to have been a friend.
Anne bent down to straighten Tim's tie. "I wonder if Kim has decided to…"
A small voice spoke up. "I'm here, Mom."
The family turned as one to see Kim standing in the kitchen doorway. She wore the black dress that Dr. Director had brought her, a pair of black flats, and a tight black belt around her waist. Her red hair had been pulled back into a tight ponytail that fell down her back. She carried a small black purse in her hands along with some wadded up tissue.
Anne smiled at her daughter. She could see where Kim had tried to cover up the redness in her face with makeup. Anne knew that her daughter was an emotional train wrack inside right now and what it had taken her to prepare herself and come down those steps. "Kim, you look lovely."
Kim tried a smile. It hurt. "Thanks, Mom."
"Kimberly, are you sure you want to go through with this? I have a feeling that you're going to be asked to speak…"
"Yes, I'm sure. I even went ahead and prepared something. It's not much but…"
Anne smiled again. "I'm sure that it'll be enough."
Kim looked around the kitchen. "Where's Dad?"
"Ron's family asked him to serve as part of the Shemira."
"What's that?" Jim asked.
"That's the members of the community that guard over the body before the funeral service." Anne gave a quick glance towards Kim but she seemed to be holding on. She made a silent wish that Kim would make it through the service. "Kim, you ready to go?"
Kim took a big breath. Her stomach was turning cartwheels and the idea of running back upstairs and hiding under her bed sounded pretty good right about now but she knew that she would never forgive herself if she didn't go through with this. Ron was worth it. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Rabbi Katz stood behind the lectern and looked out over the gathered mourners sitting in the pews. Normally services for the deceased would be held at a nearby funeral home but from the size of the crowd, this was no ordinary young man that they were honoring today. His gaze covered the crowd. He noticed the large number of serious looking men and woman wearing suits and dark glasses. They must belong to some government organization that Ronald and his friend had been connected to. One young woman, sitting next to another wearing an eye patch, kept blowing her nose and wiping away tears over and over again. Rabbi Katz wondered how the young agent could have gotten her hair into such a tight bun.
"I've have asked Miss. Kimberly Ann Possible to give the hesped or eulogy for those not of the faith. She has gracefully accepted." His gaze turned to the young teenager sitting near the front with her family. "Kimberly?"
Kimberly took a deep breath and stood. She could feel the hands of her folks on her back, reminding her of their love and support, as she slipped out of the pew and made her way to the lectern. Kim nodded her thanks to the Rabbi and turned towards the gathered crowd. She unfolded the notes she had spent all night working on the stand in front of her, noticing once again the tear marks marking and blurring the pages. It was a speech that would do her English teachers proud. It quoted Shakespeare and General Patton among others. It was full of examples of what made Ronald Stoppable the great person that he was. Kim had remembered missions that only succeeded because of him. She hoped Ron would be proud of what she had written. Kim reminded herself of the first line and looked up.
For the first time in her life, Kimberly Ann Possible froze. She had faced down hordes of henchmen trying to do her harm, masses of evil geniuses trying to destroy everything dear to her, and armies of crazed maniacs bent on total world destruction. Even that time she and Ron had found themselves in front of a live nuclear missile with less than thirty seconds until launch, she had not frozen in fear. She still had the nightmares from the near missile launch, knew that she and Ron could never tell anyone about it, and they both had very bad cases of the shakes afterwards but she had never froze before during a mission. Her training and her knowledge that she could do anything always pushed aside the terror and the doubt.
Kim lowered her head. She could hear the mumbling in the crowd wondering what was wrong. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her father debating if he should approach her. He leaned forward but Anne stopped him with a hand and a shake of her head.
As always, Ron was there to help here. A distant memory from years ago popped into her head. She smiled a tad as she remembered the picture in her mind, drawing more mumblings from the crowd. Ron had her back once again.
Kimberly looked up at the crowd while refolding the speech that she had labored over. She slid the papers into her pocket while she began speaking from the heart.
"'You're weird, but I like you.' Those were the simple words I uttered on the first day of pre-school. I said them to a blond haired, goofy looking kid who I had just met that day in the school yard. I said them to my best friend for the last fourteen years, Ronald Stopp…"
The doors to the temple crashed open. Kim looked up as Shego walked in and stopped, a cowered Drakken behind her.
Kim leapt to the attack, vaulting over the lectern and the astonished guests, landing a few short feet awhile from her arch foe. She crouched in an attack stance.
"Shego, this is so not the time! I can't believe that you would…"
Kim paused as she looked at Shego. She stood there, not dressed in her normal green and black jumpsuit but a simple black dress with a green belt around her waist, much like the dress that Kim wore herself. Shego simply stood there and waited. Kim noticed that she was holding a pair of her green and black gloves in her hands instead of wearing them.
Kim looked closer. A single tear made its way down Shego's cheek. Shego's own face looked as red as hers before she had spent a good thirty minutes trying to cover it up. She remained still; simply standing in front of her while Drakken tried his best to hide behind her. Shego's gaze remained locked on Kim's own face. A few simple kicks and her arch foe would be down.
Kim relaxed her pose and approached her.
"What are you doing here? You know that we're here because of you."
Shego's gaze fell for just a moment until it relocked back onto Kim's. "I needed to be here. Call it closure or whatever but…" She shrugged. "If you want me to leave, I'll leave. There's something I need to do first. It's important."
"Nothing bad, is it?"
Shego smirked. "Oh, come on, Kimmie. When was the last time I did something bad?"
Kim made sure she looked straight at Shego's face. "I can think of one time right off the top of my head."
Shego rubbed the back of her neck as she looked away. Kim almost fell apart due to this simple reminder of Ron. "Well, yeah. I guess that wasn't the best choice of words. Sorry about that."
"I want your word that you will do whatever you have to do, not cause any trouble, and leave immediately afterwards."
Shego sighed. "Fine. If it makes you feel better, you have my word."
Kim nodded her head and backed off. Shego took a step into the temple.
"You bitch! It's bad enough that this harlot is here! Now I have to have the murderer of my own son!"