About an hour after the ladies stuffed the ship, Amy got dropped off on Mars, 100 million miles from the bedlam soon to follow. In so doing, and disguised as a common mechanic, she booked herself a stay into the Wong Hotel & Casino, the guise being out for fun in Mars Vegas.
Time and place to become Her Highness among the high rollers; knew now wasn't it for her overalls being caked in red dust. Spent several days by herself in the Employee Suite, brains always racked trying to work the proper, most personal angle against her parents. Had her share of experience, sad to say.
"Why think that I'd be loved, If they'd screw the universe for a dollar… Should've known the whole time."
The thought became that plan to spark her eyes, a bolt of lightning to rocket her off the bed. Pay no mercy unto the merciless—enact a hostile screwjob of her own. All she needed were some notes & sketches, a week each between Mars & Earth, and shares of her personal funds.
She had seen the footage enough to remember that Zookeeper wanted not just her planet, but the galaxies and universe too. Unlike him, she'd never need to torture a rookie to accomplish it…
Between armed guards, planets and disguises, she soon had some suitcases in hand, a chance to scour those red deserts for the Wong 'employee' holdings. Upon notice, The Martians made their distaste clear, and she returned it for having never forgot their kidnapping. If not for Kif, or her grandfather's giant diamond…
"Fehk, the boss daughter approaches. What brings you to disturb the little peace we have?"
"I've a takeover to execute, and I need five of your best. In exchange, a new life of freedom off Mars."
"And why should we believe a Wong? Their word's like this dust, and will be for generations."
"I don't speak my parents' tongue, but my grandfather's. If you don't believe me, here."
She slid her suitcases towards them; though they looked wary while clicking the locks, it took a moment's glance to prove her word. From there it was a story to give and a promise of revenge, under some 'corralling' lessons for the time being.
In her old childhood, it was a chore to loathe as her parents picked apart her body, technique and struggle to rein those creatures in. Always ended the same way; they'd lose patience, she'd be shoved down to eat dust, and they'd send her to her room.
This time, as the emancipated ones got her among the fields, she began working out her plan. A spread of cash and lies, a payback from decades of scorn, and a pointed message 'from' and against the villain who would overthrow their empire.
Even for being branded a 'Wong', they never cared for her… About time she made them.
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As a week synchronised to Earth had passed, all those lovely nights now caked into her sweatsuit, Amy psyched up to grab a taxi and visit the ranch. Deep breaths under the Wong Ranch archway, her feet scraping up those stairs, her groans as she rang that doorbell and heard that Orient-infused saloon music.
"Wonder what other ways they'll push me… Sure they're punching for a chance."
Before long, her mother Inez stood at the doorway. A quick adjustment of her wrangler's hat and blue scarf, before a very brief happiness of reunion.
"Ohhh, my sweet Amy here, but still not bearing grandkids… Ugh, we ain't getting younger here!"
"Mom, you had over twenty years to practice; I've still no faith nor confidence yet."
"Yeah yeah, whatever. Now shut the door and greet your father, before you ruin my clothes."
To be fair, red dust didn't discriminate between sweatsuits, cowgirl tops or denim jeans.
Down the main hall and passing a split wooden staircase, Amy watched her father Leo grip the handrail, taking a little time. Looked as casual as his wife, as he hurried down for seeing his only daughter. Though not for the reunion as she might've imagined.
"Well well, I must say, this nice surprise! You actually look like you're acceptable weight… On Moon that is!"
A mugging snicker as Amy gritted her teeth. Such jabs had long replaced 'hello' between them, but she always hoped that he'd grow up against such cruel lead-ins.
"Evening Dad, hiding your lack of brains under that hat?"
"Nothing BUT under here. So, what is occasion? We invite or force you here most other days."
"Was thinking we'd thank and toast Archbury, for that gala of his. Y'know, throw a surprise party or something?"
"Please, your party better than his? Like he want Avon gathering!" Leo spat back.
"Aiya, da sei nei, zam lei gor sei yan tau! For five minutes, could I not hear your stupid insults?"
"Inside this house daughter, I order words. Now wash your mouth and hands, dinner ready!"
How she begged to slap her father's lips off, as she wrung her hands under that polished tap.
"As if that stupid green shirt hides his belly… Swear I won't suffer his crap anymore."
Washing her face to cool off, she slouched towards the dining room, in her sights a dinner to feed an entire tribe. Creature meats, salads, sides & desserts—succulent to sweet—all from end to end. And of course, their personal Winebot pairing up and dispensing, as only it knew how.
"Sooner have McPluto's among colleagues than this."
Could only twirl her fork in idle umbrage, as she watched her father sauce up his steak and tear like a starved vulture into it. Didn't take him long to notice either, as he pointed his knife while chewing.
"Hey, you barely touch food, what matter with you?"
"Think of the decades of weight jabs you've spewed, Dad… Think I'd still have an appetite?"
"Less thinking, more eating. Stop ignoring finest cooking in Milky Way, damn it!"
That alone could've given Amy an excuse to surrender, but she stayed sitting down and watched her mother get busy spreading some Buggalo butter.
"So Amy, still working 'round those weirdos for your precious PhD?"
"Not just the degree I'm staying for Mom. Not that you've seen beyond that."
"You screwed roping Buggalo, child; think a doctor degree's easier?"
"Having you two for teachers, did you expect any different?"
"Let's face it, only thing left for you is motherhood… How 'bout that new worker of yours?"
"Shmell no, Mom! Now & always, I've got my Kiffy. Besides, I've seen enough to know that the rookie's got his own problems."
"Ughh, of course he wannabe man… Better than Squishy Wuss though!"
"Remember who hooked us up in the first place."
"What, I'm too rich for buyer's remorse? He Captain at the time, now he just stupid lackey."
A stinging cross towards her choice of friends and lover, but as Amy cradled her chin & frowned, the gears in her head started to spin, soon working her lips into a thin, if devilish, smile.
"Well I've been seeing the news; got me blushing for someone else in recent days. He's rather solid, he's young, he's handsome and he's confident. And boy, does he know how to care for himself…"
Everything stopped in a finger-snap instant, when she teased and revealed Bender to be her new fantasy beau. Forks or spoons hovered half an inch from her parents' lips, before Leo's dropped to splatter sauce and mash over the table. A seizure and fling of his chair, before a gaze he hoped to shiver his daughter.
"If you dare go back to him, you kill your parents in shame."
"As if you'd notice… Did you mean turning robosexual again?"
Her smug, unblinking look, before Leo tore from the table and out the dining room, Cantonese curses soon gusting forth. While Inez scolded Amy and went after her husband, Amy ducked under the table to laugh like mad.
Almost made fighting on Chapek-9 worth it, giving that giant middle finger of sorts to them. Since seeing his violent spree fill Earth's airwaves over and over, Leo and Inez had to have been dreading such a thought. They soon returned, not a word spoken as Amy finished her laugh.
"See, maybe Kif isn't such a bad idea after all. Don't you think?"
Only begrudging nods on their end, before it was back to dinner and conversation. Not for too long though, as Amy had those matters press on her mind.
"So, I've heard rumours about The Zookeeper returning to seize this universe, and that we're among his next targets. Was just wondering, did he ever try to be friendly at first, come to some agreeable terms?"
Leo, still smarting over her comments, looked fit to pop a vessel.
"You don't say, stupid? We're Wongs, of course he come here! Sixth time in two weeks, offered ten billion to acquire my land, casinos and Buggalo. We say to tack on two zeroes, or to take a hike."
"Gleesh Dad… Rich from me I'm sure, but when you've got 100 lifetimes' worth of funds already, why must you have more?"
"Become rancher and business owner, you'd know why. And for same reason you must bear kids; we just want it, screw what comes next!"
"So that was all I was, a vessel to them… And they hooked my golfing dreams for THAT?"
Had felt herself stew, before she pressed on: "So how many more rejections you think he'll take, before he tries to use more hostile means?"
"Our slaves double as security force; they've got home advantage. Doesn't bother me."
Leo tilted his hat, a nasty grin to go with the boast that anything Zookeeper brought as competition, he'd crush him under his boot. Amy wasn't so convinced; she knew too well the kind of business Zookeeper dealt, the games he had played.
"Um Dad, don't you sometimes feel that your slaves have always wanted to dust their hands of you? For starters, you sure don't treat them very well."
"Ungrateful bastards… I give them home & wage, they want world from me."
"I've seen those homes you give them, and what wage? Casino credits for your blackjack & slots? Yeah, they've every reason to be grateful, for—"
"Be careful, daughter… You're joining the wrong side of this fight."
Amy readied for his throat, least from a verbal standpoint.
"Though I don't come here for pleasure these days, I'm not picking sides. I'm just saying that their resentment towards you might be valid. They've loathed us since I was born; you think The Zookeeper needs much to persuade them? You still think he hasn't chosen to turn your assets against you?"
Leo scoffed and shook his head towards Amy: "Did you burn fields coming here? That smoke too potent for ladies."
"Dad, have you gazed upon your field since I came here? The rare slither of shadows moving about? I don't know Abraca-gluck all about labour laws on this planet, but how could you not see that something stinks around here?"
It was then that the row and ruction kicked off.
Leo insisted that his slaves wouldn't dare to steal Buggalo under his nose, as Amy just dared him to prove his words. Goading each other to the point that Inez got involved, Amy hid her hands to tap a device in her pocket.
A Martian communicator, and a signal to proceed for Zookeeper's 'posse.'
Once he heard that whirlwind dust storm, Leo had stopped his stomps and growls to gaze from the safety of his window. Barrelling towards his ranch, he could only stand there, jaw unhinged as Martians in safari suits kept chanting to control it. Buggaloes were sucked up & vanished, and Leo could only whiten his knuckles in gripping his hat.
Dozens, scores, then hundreds of his prized herd got snatched, and Leo's face grew redder and redder. Could've resembled the Sun by the time the theft stopped; a later survey of damage had seen some ten percent of his herd wiped off his portfolio within a half-hour.
Tossing his hat and kicking it about, his short grey crop swept about as he approached Amy, a dreaded look that almost had her chortle. Kept herself together, as he breathed through his nose.
"For longest time, I hated having daughter over son. Now, I hate Zookeeper over having daughter! By my father's name, I'll shred and skin him alive for this."
"Gee thanks Dad, but let's not get too drastic. How 'bout instead, we just screw him over, since it seems only fair?"
"Wongs don't do fair… I say screw him twice back! But how we do that, you think?"
"How 'bout you convince your high-profile buddies that he's plain bad news? After all, if he had the nerve to steal from you, he's bound to turn on them too. I know the crew's got their share of evidence to back us all up. Together, we'll stamp out and squash his name, good & fast."
"First worthy idea you had. I'll get on phone right away. Inez, you do same! We give him hellfire, Asian-Martian style… This gathering is over, leave us be!"
"Thanks Dad, you've always been a good protector. Goodnight!"
As she turned her feet and made tracks, Amy's grin grew grateful to get away, and devious for her plan's ultimate success. More so than her threat to hook up with Bender, there was no price one could pay for such years-long revenge. For that power play, the best free entertainment possible.
To their credit, her parents weren't shy about questioning her; was such absurd bait at first. Without her Martians' help, they'd have known that she was responsible, and would've disowned her on the spot. Might've been to a sense of relief, but not if Zookeeper aimed to tear them apart.
Then again, her parents did send Zapp to rescue her once, did give him all the credit. Should've known way better through their networks…
Her dad's herd would've been safe for now, up in the Eastern Hemisphere in some temporary fencing. Also doubled as an insurance policy of sorts; a chance to rebuild in case Zookeeper did go ahead with such a takeover.
Her elaborate lie finished and job over, all there'd been left to do was take a ship back to Earth, and await further instructions. Maybe she'd steal a steamy kiss from Bender, if he had a little time. Kif's extended tours of duty did leave her lonely, after all.
A choice Leela would've picked without thinking, for the two faces she was about to confront.