Dr Betty Director sighed as she signed off on another piece of paper. Another useless bureaucratic piece of nonsense. But, it had to be done. Who else would do it? It wasn't like she could hire someone to sign off on another order of stun watches for the recruits… Could she?
...that would involve even more paperwork to even get the request brought up in a meeting, let alone it actually happening. And it wasn't like she could depend on anyone else in this place to follow through.
Sometimes she envied her brother. The head of an organization that listened to every beck and call without the need to hold their hands.
...no. That was a wrong way to think. Global Justice celebrated the diversity of humanity and their ability to overcome the impossible whereas WEE was all about stepping on any and all potential outside of Gemini's own perverse ideas. Selflessness versus selfishness.
Betty shook her head as she grabbed the next piece of paper in her enormous pile of overdue paperwork. Looking down at it, she smiled.
Ah. The bills for the treatment of one Drew Lipsky at one of their best facilities.
Looking closely at it, it was strangely normal as far as treatments went. Balancing and counterbalancing medications to deal with megalomania, delusions, mania, depression, and his various mutations, and psychological help to deal with the figurative scars and mental blocks still left from his treatment at her twin's hands.
She'd wanted to help the man when he'd been initially discarded by her brother. She really had. But, as she now knew, the wheels of bureaucracy refused to turn for most of the little men. And, as sad as it was, Drew Lipsky had been one of those little men, playthings in the fight between good and evil.
At least they were able to help him now. Taking out the entirety of WEE certainly raised him to the status of 'important', and wasn't it in the best interest of the public to go along with the rehabilitation of a hero from the Lorwardian invasion?
Thinking back, Betty was certain that Kimberly was hiding something rather important from her regarding Drakken and Shego. Something which apparently involved the redhead personally, if the clues she'd dropped during their initial meeting and the subsequent negotiation meeting were anything to go by. But, again, bureaucracy tied her hands as far as getting intelligence on the situation. It was considered unimportant, thus it was unimportant in the eyes of the government stooges.
She happily approved the payments.
The next piece of paperwork was for malfunctioning cameras...
...in the ducts leading to the evidence warehouse.
That caught her attention.
"What is missing?" Betty strolled in to the evidence warehouse, her gaze focused on the bright yet mousy woman that was tagging beside her.
"Well, that's the strange part…" The agent adjusted her glasses as she noted, "It's all a lot of exceptionally bland inventions. None of them even close to being in the vein of taking over the world!"
"Really?" Dr Director raised an eyebrow, stopping in the middle of Aisle J. "What was stolen?"
"If our inventory is to be believed, it's, well, a bunch of nonsense." She pulled out a list. "A temporal distorter - a machine to freeze time outside of a specific area, and one with a rather limited range to boot, a collection of serums confiscated from various mad scientists including DNAmy and Dr Drakken, random mechanical components and tools, for what I couldn't tell you as it was considered junk from when WEE's first base was raided, Gemini's mechanical hand, a miniature teleporter, and a dimensionally expanded bag."
"Gemini's hand?" Betty could only think of her brother as being the one to go after that, or the items from his first base. But… But why the rest of it? What use would any of those items be in reviving WEE?
It sounded like her brother was diving back into his maniac tendencies once again. It would be fine… She'd survived the last several turns he'd had before. What was another one?
"Make sure to get those cameras working as soon as possible," Betty growled. "Check with Wade Load, make sure to keep him in the loop-.." She paused. Loop. "...how were the cameras broken?"
"They, uhm…" The other woman flipped through her papers. "It seems that they're showing empty ducts and such, even when the other sensors go off."
"...fascinating." Betty internally sighed. Wade… What happened to have made him loop the cameras? Externally, she said, "Get with Mr. Load. Make sure that he knows what's going on. I'm willing to bet that he can fix it without needing to spend the money on new cameras…"
"Y-..Yes ma'am!" The agent saluted before skittering off into one of the nearby tubes.
Betty sighed, this time out loud. She knew that she would have to remove Wade Load from the GJ mainframe. While he was becoming invaluable in reorganizing their database into something halfway usable, it was unforgivable to purposely weaken GJ's defenses. This exact situation was what resulted from such abuse of power. She had no idea who could take his place, as he was the best in his line of work...
Sometimes it was awful being the boss.
"Today's the day." Shego said it casually, but Kim knew it was more important than what she was giving it credit.
"Yeah, today's the day…" Kim repeated with more meaning.
They were currently gathering at the Caribbean lair to join up in one transport. Shego had insisted that they take the hovercar for something more familiar. The day was very important...
Today was the day they picked Drakken up from treatment.
"Are you sure I should come with, KP?" Ron looked at his BFGF, confused. "I mean, I know we're engaged and stuff, but this seems more of a not-not-family thing."
"Positive." She gave him a hug. "I need the moral support…"
"Moral support?"
"Yeah…" Kim leaned in, whispering, "What if they couldn't help him? What if he's still… Sick?"
"Ah, gotcha." The blond nodded.
Shego finished messing around with the hovercar's tank and asked, "Are you ready, kids?"
"Ay ay, captain!" Ron shouted, hands in the air.
Shego raised an eyebrow.
"Er, I mean, yes?"
"Okay…" Shego jumped into the front seat. Then, snickering, she called out, "Children in the back!"
"Aw man!" Ron pouted. "Eighteen and still treated like a kid!"
"It's fine," Kim said to him, rolling her eyes at Shego. "Just ignore her. I think she's nervous."
"Okay I guess?" Kim boosted him up into the hovercar before jumping in herself.
Shego sighed, a frown on her face. "Next stop: GJ hospital…"
They waited uncomfortably in the lobby area in front of a rather plump, friendly woman at a desk. The only noise present was the woman's pen scribbling on some paper and Shego tapping her fingers on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. Ron was taking in some of the fliers. Kim, for her part, was just sitting, tapping her foot silently.
Waiting. It was strangely nerve-wracking.
Then...
"I have legs!" they heard Drakken complain from behind the heavy set of doors leading to the ward.
"Sorry…" an apologetic voice sounded from the same direction. "It's policy."
"Bah! Policy… That policy is stupid!"
A male nurse with dark hair wheeled Drakken out in a wheelchair. His bags hung off the back of the wheelchair and a deep scowl was plastered on his face.
Kim stared at her dad. He was dressed in beige slacks and a polo shirt, similar to the get-up he'd had when they stopped his plot with the cupcakes. He had also apparently gotten a haircut, with his mini-mullet missing. He still had his weird mohawk hair. But, overall, he looked about the same. Except for one distinct difference.
He wasn't blue. He looked almost… Normal. Save for a strange feeling about him, probably the mad science bit of him, he looked to be a normal, everyday guy.
"Can you walk?" Kim stupidly asked, completely taken aback by the significant lack of blue and the wheelchair.
He frowned deeper and snapped, "I'm sick, not invalid!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Shego brushed off his bad behavior and asked, "So, how do you feel?"
Drakken… Drew? She wasn't sure what he wanted to be called, seemed taken aback. "I, erm…" He really thought about it. "I feel… Less itchy?" He shrugged as he stood up.
The nurse withdrew quietly, eyeing the scientist like he'd been a problem patient. Probably because he had been.
Shego rolled her eyes. "I meant emotionally, you doofus."
"Oh. Uhm…" He twiddled his fingers. "I guess, well, I'm confused."
"About…?"
"Everything." He rubbed his head. "It feels like everything was a blur. A bad, strange blur." Looking at Shego, he asked, "Did we…" He seemed uncomfortable asking, then bent in and whispered something in her ear.
Shego gasped, then whispered, "Drew…" She then pulled him in for a big hug. "Doc, you remember…!"
"Not everything." Kim's dad pulled away. "I, erm, remember some of the… Stuff…" He looked away. "The ouchy stuff… There's still mostly a blank from where the brain-tap machine was used. So, no college, no baby. Just the, erm, bad stuff."
"Oh." Now it was Shego and Kim's turn to be uncomfortable. Apparently trying to change the topic, Shego pulled at his shirt and asked, "So, what's up with this get-up? I know we packed it, but I didn't actually expect you to wear it…"
"They felt like I needed a 'change'," he said, quoting with his fingers. "I think it's stupid, and plan on changing back into my labcoat and pants as soon as I can!"
"Doctor's orders to not wear it?" Ron asked. "'cause that sounds like a doctor orders thing to me."
The scientist cringed. "Erm, maybe?"
"'Maybe'?" Shego eyed him.
"...they're afraid of a relapse," Kim's dad pouted. "Relapse… Like I would want to be itchy and megalomaniacal…"
"So they managed to fix the whole 'conquering the world' thing?"
"Medication is magical," he said flatly, then sighed, "I'll be stuck on them for the rest of my life. Seven, SEVEN, different medications! And they kept me separate from the other patients as if I'm some leper or something!"
"At least it'll help," Kim said, giving him a side hug.
"Yeah! We won't have to be all hero-y at you now!" Ron exclaimed. Then, scratching his head, he asked, "So, uh, what do we call you?"
"Eh?" The other man tilted his head.
"Like, are you still Drakken? Or is it Drew now?" Kim was secretly relieved that Ron asked that.
Rufus shrugged.
"I, erm…" The now not blue man shrugged as well. "I guess call me Drew? I'm not against Drakken… But…" He looked uncomfortable. "Drakken is more… Take-over-the-world? Supervillain? Not really my cup of tea."
"Ewww, you drink tea?" Ron made a face.
Drew sneered, "It's a saying, you… Erm..." He stared. "...what's your name again?"
Kim rolled her eyes. Of course he still wouldn't remember Ron's name. The universe could never be that fair.
"His name's Ron," Kim said insistently. "You know, the guy I'm dating?"
"Hi!" Ron took Drew's hand and began shaking it violently. "Ron Stoppable, Kim's BFBF, darn glad to meet you!"
Drew narrowed his eyes and squeezed Ron's hand. Hard. "...I still don't approve of you, Buffoon!"
"Ouch!" Ron withdrew his hand, dramatically holding it with his other hand. "Aw man! Really?"
"Yes, really!"
"Well…" Kim looked at Shego, who shrugged and smirked. Deciding she might as well, she said, "You'll have to get used to him. Ron's not going anywhere."
"Oh please." Drew rolled his eyes this time. "It's not like you two are going to get married…"
"Actually…" Ron scratched the back of his head. Kim coughed and Shego laughed at the same time.
"Wait…" The older man looked between the three of them. "Am I missing something?"
"Yes." Shego snorted back a laugh. "Yes you are."
Drew looked between Ron and Kim, paling. "You don't mean…?"
"Yeah… Uhm…" Ron put an arm around Kim, who did the same in return. "Surprise! We're gonna get married!"
"I… But… You…" Drew began to sputter, looking between the two teens faster and faster. Then, head bobbing, his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell over.
"...yeah, went about as well as I expected," Shego said, shaking her head. She then bent down and picked her husband up. Looking at the two gobsmacked teens, she asked, "So, what did you wanna do now?"
"..-and that's how I invented the Naco!" Ron said proudly.
"So, you and the doc do have more in common than just being dorks," Shego observed, giving her significant other a smirk as they raced over the Gulf of Mexico.
"Hmph!" Drew crossed his arms and snorted. "The day me and the buffoon have anything in common is the day I eat my hat!"
"You don't have a hat," Ron pointed out. "Unless… Did you eat it already?!"
"I just… You just… Nnnngh…" Kim's dad slapped his head. "It's another saying, you idiot!"
"Ohhhh, okay, gotcha."
"You don't need to be that hard on him, Doc," Shego said. "It's not like you're much better some days."
Drew grumbled but didn't say any more than that.
"So then…" Kim looked between her parents. Now would be as good a time as any... "I, uhm, was wondering…"
"Hm?" Drew turned to give her his full attention, Shego less so due to her driving. "Yes, what is it?"
Breathe. In, out. "You guys are getting married still?"
"Recommitment ceremony," Drew insisted.
"Right…" Kim tucked a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "I was just… Wondering…"
"Yes?" Now Shego's full attention was on her too, likely having activated some kind of autopilot.
"...would you be willing to get married together?"
"Together?" Drew tilted his head. "I don't understand."
Shego seemed to get it. "Hm… I dunno… It'd be pretty weird, having the same anniversary…"
"What?" The mad scientist blinked a few times. "What are you two babbling on about?"
"They wanna get married on the same day we are, Doctor D," Shego filled in.
"WHAT?!" Drew boggled at his daughter. "But, that's only a few months away!"
"So?" Kim resisted pouting.
"Nuh-uh! No! Not happening!" Drew crossed his arms in front of him. "You'll wait a good year, and you'll like it!"
"But…" She initiated her greatest weapon. "But Ron and I've been friends for forever!"
"Yes, and dating for…" Drew narrowed his eyes as he lowered his arms. "...you're doing that thing again."
"Ugh." Shego averted her gaze from their daughter. "The puppy dog pout…"
"Kim's superpower," Ron said.
"Nnnnngh…" Drew looked away, but his resolve was clearly crumbling. Suddenly, he jumped as if lightning struck him and said triumphantly, "Then how would I be able to walk you down the aisle?"
"You and my dad could walk me at the same time and join me and Shego at the altar," Kim said, not letting up at all.
"You might as well give in, Doctor D," Shego wisely said.
"Hmph!" He flopped back, grumbling. "Fine! You can get married with us."
"Promise?" Kim knew better this time around.
He squirmed. "I, uhm…" Drew looked everywhere but at Kim.
"Dad? Pwease?" Her eyes were literally starting to water now, the effort of keeping them open during the ride back making them dry up.
"AaaaaaaaaaaaFINE!" He shouted, holding up a pinky. "I promise that you can get married with me and Shego!"
Kim shook his finger triumphantly. "It's a date!"