Several hours later, Ari and Rosalyn had done all they could do, so they left for Madril. Rosalyn had gotten the idea that Mr. Big would know something. "But what about Stan?" Ari was saying.
"If he wants to catch up, he will," Rosalyn answered.
Ari saw KT again, manning the gate, as usual; he didn't try to talk to her. She smiled encouragingly as she let them out. "I'm wondering about KT," Ari muttered to Rosalyn. He told her about their encounter.
"I'm sure it's nothing bad," Rosalyn said when he had finished. "Maybe she's just a magical, mysterious woman, like the woman at Traveler's Isle."
Ari admitted that this might be so.
"Took you long enough," said a voice suddenly. "It's freezing out here." Ari turned, but Rosalyn didn't bother. She just sighed.
"Darn it," she muttered.
Stan was leaning against a nearby tree with his arms folded before him. "Thinking of leaving me behind?"
"One could only hope," Rosalyn returned.
Before Stan could respond and start yet another argument, Ari asked, "What happened back there? Where've you been?"
Stan shrugged. "I got bored, so I came out here. I didn't go back because I didn't feel like a repeat performance of that little…spectacle."
"So I beat you that bad, huh?" Rosalyn said, not bothering to hide a grin.
Stan glared at her, but chose not to dignify that remark with a response. "So where to?"
"To defeat James and his you imposter," Rosalyn answered, going into business mode. "I think Mr. Big might be able to help us figure out where they're going next."
Stan's eyes darkened at the mention of his imposter. "Sounds like a good plan to me," he said. He suddenly seemed extremely dangerous. Rosalyn had to repress a chill as she remembered what his power had felt like.
Ari realized that he had only seen that look on Stan's face once before, and that was when Beiloune had forced him to fight Rosalyn. It was an expression filled with hatred and malevolence. Stan never looked like that at Rosalyn, normally, or Marlene, both of whom he professed to hate beyond all measure. It was a great shock to see him like this, and very frightening.
"He's back," Natasha said angrily. "You said he wouldn't be able to get back, Jamie."
"Now, don't worry, dear," James responded, trying to sooth her. "He won't be able to stop us."
"Promise me, Jamie. Promise he won't be able to."
James nodded. He'd do anything for Natasha. "I promise, my dear. Stan will never be able to stop us, and neither will anyone else. I have a plan."
Mirror Stan leaned against a tree. Since coming to this world, he'd been used, abused, and used some more. He wanted so badly to simply blow his would-be masters sky high, but he was still under James' control. He smiled slightly. Soon, he thought. Soon I'll have my revenge for this travesty. How sweet it will be…
Madril hadn't changed much since they left, except to add more people. A fine mist was all that remained of the last storm, but the sky threatened to open up and dump a deluge on the already waterlogged townsfolk at any moment. The Town Hall had been turned into a temporary shelter for the people of Rashelo. The Mayor of the city was arguing with the manager of the hotel about moving them all. It didn't appear to be going his way.
People wearing raincoats and carrying umbrellas were bustling here and there, going about their business as though nothing in the world was wrong. It was strange, watching them try to delude themselves in this manner. But what else could they do, when there was nothing they could do?
Mr. Big Inc. was a flurry of frenzied activity. Humans and ghosts that wore human shape ran around the lobby and up and down the stairs like they were on fire. There was so much noise that no one could hear himself think. Rosalyn and Ari, with Stan hiding in Ari's shadow, approached the front desk.
"We need to see Mr. Big," Rosalyn attempted to yell over the din.
"He's in a meeting right now," the secretary on duty responded. "If you could come back tomorrow…"
"There may not be a tomorrow if Madril gets attacked," Rosalyn argued.
"I'm really sorry, but he's going to be in meetings for the rest of the day. Either come back tomorrow, or forget it."
Rosalyn grumbled and walked away.
"You give up too easily," Stan said without bothering to show himself.
"Be quiet, Stan," Rosalyn hissed. "Someone might hear you!"
"Over this noise? Please."
Rosalyn led them out the door and around the corner where no one could see them. "So now what do we do?"
Stan popped up, then. "Isn't it obvious? We go back in there and crash the meeting."
"We can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Because that wouldn't be right!"
"And your point is what?"
Rosalyn started to respond, then decided against it; it was no use arguing morals with an Evil King. Instead, she looked up toward Mr. Big's office as though the answer might reveal itself if she stared hard enough.
"I still say we just bust in," Stan muttered.
"Well, we're not going to, all right?"
"Actually," Ari began. "What if Mr. Big knows where James is going next? What if something is going to be attacked tomorrow? Wouldn't it be wrong not to go in there and find out right now? I mean…If we don't do whatever we can to find out, then if somewhere else gets destroyed, isn't it our fault?"
Rosalyn was silent. On the one hand, Ari was right. On the other hand…Ari was right. She happened to notice that Stan was pointedly not paying her the least bit of attention. Finally, she said, "This is against my better judgment, you understand."
Stan laughed. "All right! Let's go blow something up!"
"We are not destroying anything…!" Rosalyn said futilely; Stan was not listening.
Going back into the din was something of a shock after the quiet of outside, but Ari didn't stop, and neither did Rosalyn. They elbowed their way through the press of bodies, fought their way up the stairs, and finally got stopped by Mr. Big's doorman.
"You can't go in," said the doorman.
"We have to see Mr. Big right now," Rosalyn tried to explain.
"I don't care what you have to do," the doorman answered scathingly. "Nobody goes through this door until the Boss gives the okay."
Stan popped up, then, and shouted, "Damn you! Let us in right now, or I will blow you and this door into next Tuesday!"
The doorman scoffed. "On a scale of one to ten, that death threat rated about –8."
"Why you-!" Stan's eyes flashed with anger. He hadn't gotten good and angry in while, and it felt pretty good to do so, now.
Privately, Rosalyn agreed wholeheartedly. It would have been really nice to wipe the smirk off this guy's face, but Heroes didn't do things like that. Evil Kings on the other hand…
"Stan, go for it," she said, stepping out of the way.
Stan stopped and looked at her. Of all the things she could have said, that was not one he expected. "What?" he said dumbly.
"Go for it!" she answered brightly. "Take him out. I'll even stand here and let you."
Stan gave her a very wary look, expecting some sort of trick. But she appeared to be completely sincere. He chuckled. "I don't know whether you've gone nuts, or you just realized how much more fun it is to be evil, and I don't care." He turned his attention back to the doorman and laughed maliciously as he gathered energy to his hands. "Prepare to meet your maker, human."
"Uh…" The doorman appeared to realize finally that he was in real, imminent danger. He suddenly remembered an urgent dental appointment and ran past them and down the stairs.
"Damn," Stan said. "Oh, well. I'll just blow up the door anyway."
"Oh, no you don't!" Rosalyn exclaimed. "He's gone! Just let it go."
"I knew it was too good to be true," Stan muttered as he banished the energy he had gathered.
Rosalyn knocked on the door; it was answered by yet another doorman. "The Boss is in a meeting," he said. "Go away."
"But we have to see Mr. Big," Rosalyn said, beginning to despair of ever getting inside.
"Let us in, you sorry excuse for a simian's-"
"Stanley!" Rosalyn yelled. "Shut up!"
"Is that Rosalyn I hear?" Mr. Big's voice said from within the office.
"Yes, it's me and Ari," Rosalyn answered before the doorman could. Stan grumbled, but didn't debate her exclusion of him.
"Well, don't just stand there, come in! You, wait outside." The last bit was said to the doorman. He complied, but grumbled and glared at the trio.
The office had become considerably more cluttered since the last time they had been there. Papers were stacked on every available surface, including the floor. The desk was as neat as it ever was, however. A small, black, bat-like creature sat on top of it, yawning.
"Come in, come in. Don't mind the clutter. Glad to see you back, King Stan."
"What is all this?" Stan asked, looking around.
"Orders to desist, orders to stay out of Town Hall, orders to vacate the premises, restraining orders, bills…" Mr. Big gestured toward several stacks in turn, then shrugged. "Nothing of importance. So things went well for you at Triste, I guess. How are things there?"
Before anyone could answer, the bat thing squeaked.
"Can't you wait five minutes?" Mr. Big demanded. The thing squeaked again, louder. Mr. Big sighed. "Good help is so hard to find these days."
"Here, here," Stan agreed.
"What is it?" Ari asked, choosing to ignore the imnplication.
Stan answered. "It's an imp. They make good spies because they can get anywhere."
Mr. Big nodded. "Yes, and what makes a good spy makes a good reporter. This little one just happened to be watching Triste when it noticed that James fellow and some girl chatting about going to the World Library."
"What?" Stan and Rosalyn exclaimed together.
"The World Library!" Rosalyn went on. "What are they going to do?"
The imp squeaked, whistled, and chattered for a long time while Stan and Mr. Big listened intently. When it had finished, Stan roared, "Damn him! When I get my hands on him, I'll tear him limb from limb!" His eyes flashed and he shook with rage.
"What did it say?" Ari asked.
"It said they said they're coming to Madril to find something," Mr. Big answered. "They seemed really excited about that. Then, they're going to the World Library to find some sort of power. The only thing I can think of is that they want to reinstate Classification."
"Oh, this isn't good," Rosalyn moaned. "We have to stop them."
"That Natasha," Stan said through clenched teeth. "This is all her fault! If it wasn't for her, this never would have happened. She's manipulating James somehow…"
"They're coming back here, first," Mr. Big said. "You might as well wait for them."
Rosalyn thanked him for his time and information, and the party headed for the hotel.