Hey, look! I didn't take a full year to update this story! I'm so proud of myself!
Okay, so, update- This night will end on Chapter 9 instead of 10. It felt like I didn't have enough to stretch it so far, so I didn't want to risk it.
The Games Rich People Play
Chapter 8: It Hits the Fan
Seeing his group in the distance, Ben put a smile on his face. He just had to look after two people and make sure they were okay. Nothing else. No leadership needed, just being sort of a big brother to two younger teens. And certainly no need to think about the intense conversation he had with Bruce. That was it.
It still took him a few seconds before moving forward, but he finally steeled himself and rejoined his friends.
"Yo! What'd I miss?"
Julie and Rook smiled at his return. Julie's smile quickly went away as she slid up beside him. "Can we talk for a sec?"
As Rook made sure they had their privacy, the two discussed what happened while Ben was gone. "So… we met Pacifica's father."
"Oh," Ben said, remembering what Bruce asked of him. "Was he snobbish or cool?"
"I'm thinking he's a creep." She sadly looked at Pacifica. "There was hatred in Pacifica's voice when she greeted him. Honest to god hatred. And the way he talked was the most uncomfortable thing I've heard in my life. He was here to tell Pacifica that she was "free to do what she wanted" and seemed hesitant to do so. Then he told her she should just be glad he's "letting her off her leash".
Ben narrowed his eyes at the information. Bruce's hunch had to be right. It wasn't enough to call someone about it since it was nothing but hearsay and the man could potentially pay off people at this point. But he had a place to start from. Now they just had to get Pacifica to know they could be trusted to help her.
He noticed two others were gone. "Where's explosive hair and Anzu?"
"They went out to get some air. Yugi was feeling bad. She says he'll be alright, but he looked almost ready to keel over. I sure hope she's right."
Ben took note of that, reminding himself to keep an eye on Yugi from then on.
His final quarry (God, he sounded like Kyber), Danny, was with his girlfriend. It appeared he was trying to calm her down, with no luck. She wasn't happy about Kaiba's presence.
"Alright, so with the most probable explanation being that Pacifica's parents are the worst, we'll want to keep close to her. You two make her feel as comfortable as possible. If it's anything she needs right now, it's friends. I'll catch up with you on that, I just need to talk with someone first."
"Thanks, Benji." Julie kissed him on the cheek before heading off with Rook.
Ben took a deep breath, hoping he knew what he was doing. He'd met plenty of older heroes before, and even those of his age. But heroes younger than him? That was a whole new ball game for him. He'd always been the younger, the one inspired by long-time heroes, and now his role was reversed. The expectations placed on him at this moment felt heavy on his shoulders.
Of course, it's not like he deserved those expectations. His most recent faults could support that. He was a partner, not a leader. Not someone to look up to.
But right now, this Danny kid needed his help. He could only hope that the guy saw him as a friend instead of a teacher by the end of this.
He wasn't sure what he and Sam were talking about, the two of them were talking too quietly. Could've been anything at this point: Kaiba, Pacifica's dad, the superhero stuff… regardless, he was there to alleviate things. "Hey, y'all doing alright?"
The two spun around hurriedly. "Uh, yeah! We're holding up."
"Holding up? Wow, Kaiba got under your skins, huh?"
Sam scoffed. "That's an understatement. Saw you try to go talk to him. How well did that work out?"
"He's about as stubborn as they come, unsurprisingly. Probably should have seen that coming." He chuckled, before dropping the smile. "Heard about Pacifica's father coming around."
"From the moment I heard his voice, he just completely infuriated me," Sam stated.
"So I've been hearing. I know Kaiba is kind of an ass, but maybe we should focus on that mess first. For Pacifica's sake."
Sam looked off to the side. "I'll still object if he does something that goes against my moral code."
"Fair enough. You cool Danny?"
"Sure."
Ben nodded. "Speaking of which, can I talk to your boyfriend in private?"
Sam looked confused. "What for?"
"Uh... guy stuff." God, he was so much worse at this than Bruce.
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"Uh… relationship advise I got from my girlfriend. Who is very smart and knows what guys should do. In relationships."
Sam scrutinized him for a second more. "…Okay. Just don't tell him anything that would make him a jerk, or I'm coming for you."
"Once again, fair enough."
She shuffled off, joining the rest of the bigger group.
Ben looked at Danny, who had gained a look of concern. He probably didn't know what to expect from this conversation.
"So…" The two stared at each other for a moment. Ben was trying to find a way to segue into the topic at hand, with little success. He was becoming more aware each second of the young man staring at him in confusion. Thus, in a panic… "Uh… so, have you ever phased into the girl's locker room? Cause that's no good."
Danny spat out his drink. A drink Ben didn't remember him having. "W-what?!"
"Nailed it." Ben sarcastically thought to himself. "Ok, not how I wanted to start that. But I suppose it's a good time as any to say: nice to meet you, Phantom."
"That- I- No-" Danny restarted, composing himself. "That's… completely untrue. No idea where you got tha-"
"Dude." He pointed to himself. "Superhero. It's okay, your secret is safe with me."
Danny nervously fidgeted for a few seconds, unsure how to cope with this sudden breach of his secret. Ben winced at this. "Great. Screw this up too, why don't you?" He sighed and placed a hand on Danny's shoulder. "Look, I should've eased you into this, but you don't have to worry. I know how important keeping this a secret is. I'm the only one who knows. Ok?"
Danny stared at him a moment. He gave a few deep breaths before his fidgeting finally ceased. "Ok. Ok. Yeah, I'm the Phantom." He gave a weak chuckle. "Guess it was kind of obvious, huh?"
"If I'm to be honest, no. I only found out because of a mutual friend we have at this party." Danny looked at him in confusion. "It's one of the big-time heroes. Even bigger than me. And he told me to help you specifically."
"Really? They want to help me? That's… that's great! Because I know that-"
"Vlad and his posse are meeting up to discuss some big plan?"
Danny was startled by the interruption. "Uh… yeah. So, what are we gonna initiate some sort of sneak attack, or…?"
"We, are going to let our mutual friend handle it… and relax."
Danny frowned. "Huh?"
"Listen, these people that your arch-enemy's team up with? They're some heavy hitters, believe it or not. And right now, we're in a bit of a delicate situation in a delicate place. It's for the best for us to sit this one out, ok?"
"But… who's gonna stop him? Whatever he's up to…"
"Is completely covered by our friends upstairs." Ben pointed upward.
"…The Justice League? They're the ones looking into this?"
"Eh… sort of. Bottom line is that you don't have to fight Vlad now. They'll take care of it."
Danny sighed, his happiness drained out of him.
"Hey, it's ok, dude. That just means you get to relax on this vacation."
"But I dove into this wanting to stop Vlad. I came to this island to bust him and got backed into a corner instead. I just… I just wanted to make up for screwing up so badly." He clenched his fists.
Ben looked at him, knowing exactly how he felt. With how long he'd been in the game, he felt it plenty of times. "Danny… truth is, in this line of work… you're bound to make mistakes. Some just missteps, others… pretty awful screw-ups. They just happen. But the one thing you can do is learn. Learn from what went wrong and do better next time." Unfortunately, some part of his brain challenged him on that. 'You mean like you did?' 'I learned what I needed to.' 'Sure, keep telling yourself that.'
"Sorry, but that doesn't really make me feel better."
"Yeah… it doesn't. But it'll pass, and you'll grow. And it's not like you have to do it alone. You've got friends to help you through the mistakes."
Danny smiled at the mention of that. It was true, his friends and family helped him through a lot, especially after knowing his secret. He just wished there was something he could do. Something that didn't make him feel like he was wasting time while Vlad schemed away. It's not as if he could learn that much from this failure… wait. "Hey… maybe you can show me the ropes!"
"Uh… what?"
"Yeah! I mean, we really couldn't do any power testing here cause of the 'no superheroes' thing, but you could tell me all about your adventures, and give me tips! And maybe after all this is over we can do some physical training!"
"I mean, I don't think I'm cut out for teaching younger heroes."
Danny nudged him. "Ah, come on. You taught Rook and Julie the ropes."
"Yes, but we're partners, and-"
"Plus, you've fought everybody from small-time crooks to cosmic horrors. You might as well be on Superman's level."
"I wouldn't say that at all-"
"With all that experience, I think you could help me become a better hero. I've… I've always kind of had to do this on my own. Sure my family and friends support me, but… figuring out how this hero deal works has always been a solo gig." Danny looked at his elder, hoping to hear a yes out of him. Instead, he was caught off guard.
Ben had been looking at him with a troubled face, before turning away. He kept staring off into the distance, making Danny wonder if he had offended him somehow. "I think… I think it's best if you just keep going on your own. I'm nowhere near qualified to teach you."
"Oh."
Ben could hear the crushing disappointment in Danny's response. Great. He was letting someone down yet again. But he honestly couldn't risk the kid following in his footsteps. Good hero? Sure. Good person? …No. But the kid was beating himself up even though he had tried his hardest. Ben had to cheer him up somehow.
Maybe… he could compromise. "You know… I may not be the best teacher, but I am the best teaching experience."
This odd phrasing only confused the ghost kid, and he tilted his head in response.
"Look, I've made my fair share of mistakes. Ones that you could very well avoid. I can tell you about all the times I messed up royally, and you can learn from those. So, when you run into situations like them, you'll be prepared for it. I can do that much for you."
Danny lightened up a bit. "Huh. Okay. Yeah, alright." It was a start.
"We'll start my blooper reel tomorrow though. Just enjoy tonight." He smirked. "Besides, I actually have to go through with telling you some relationship tips."
Danny blushed. "You don't really have to."
"I do if we want a decent cover story for your girlfriend if she asks. So, the thing about being in a relationship…"
"No, I mean, my girlfriend knows my secret. I can tell her what we actually talked about instead of having this awkward conversation."
"…Oh."
"Is everyone here?"
"Mr. Terrific, present."
"Doctor Fate, present."
"Nightwing, present."
"Kim Possible, present."
"Blossom, present."
"Buttercup, present."
"Bubbles, present."
"Good. Everyone vital to this conference is present and accounted for." Batman confirmed.
"Looks like our stealth tech is working for you just fine." Mr. Terrific happily noted.
"The combination of our technological applications as well as Fate's magical attributes has done well. If I'm to be honest, it's exceeding expectations."
Nightwing continued. "Thus putting our little ice cream social at very little risk of being eavesdropped by Whimsley's security."
"So, what's the sitch so far, Batman?"
"Preston Northwest was the first to arrive, followed by Vlad Masters, and Princess Morbucks. Monty Fisk has yet to arrive, and although Masters and Morbucks have stuck close to one another, Northwest has recently strayed from them for a short time-" A beep came from his wrist. "Fisk has just arrived inside the mansion. Which means that their meeting is about to commence. Nightwing, any updates on Bane?"
"Other than the corrupt guards giving him a fine meal, he's done nothing. But his guards have brought in a contraband phone. I think he's expecting a call. He seems way more carefree than he should be about this."
"Keep watching him. I have a feeling I know who his contact is. Is everyone in position?" Batman asked.
"We're all ready to be deployed from the Watchtower," Blossom replied.
"I have them and other leaguers on standby, ready to deploy to any location needed," Terrific stated.
"Good. When their meeting starts this comm will be connected to the other device Mr. Terrific and I also developed. Be quick to respond to any information given off."
"Confirmed." They all replied, and most signed off.
"Hey Bats," Mr. Terrific signaled. "Doctor Fate and I want to talk with you privately."
"Make it quick. Fisk is on his way, and I have no doubt Northwest will return soon."
"It's about the Northwests. See, while we were doing some follow up investigating up on our suspects, we found some interesting info surrounding Preston and his family."
"I'm aware. Their family has a criminal history stretching back to the Mid 1800s."
"There is more than that, I'm afraid." Doctor Fate interjected, announcing his presence. "While Mr. Terrific kept looking into the family, he encountered something strange in the town. A gnome."
"A gnome," Batman said flatly. He almost didn't believe him.
"Tried to take the T-sphere I had sent. Once I saw that I knew I had to get an expert opinion."
Fate continued. "Which is where I came in. Though I had only been taking part in the creation of the stealth tech, something pulled me to look into the town. I even visited the location. What I found was staggering."
"The place is a supernatural hot zone. Not just mythical creatures- Fate found perfectly preserved living dinosaurs underground, and he even discovered an alien ship that had crashed centuries ago." Terrific explained.
"Looking into my vast magical knowledge, I discovered the reason- this 'Gravity Falls' is what is known as a Gateway of Anomaly. A spot in our universe where the dimensional boundary is weakest, allowing the cosmic and magical energy of parallel universes to seep through. Not only that, but it attracts all things supernatural- creatures, events… even people."
Though it was an interesting thing to learn, Batman wanted to know what Fate was getting at. "What does this have to do with the Northwests?"
"Though they were 'irradiated' so to speak, with the same anomaly energy as the rest of the town, I also discovered the remnants of a curse on the Northwests' former household. Tracking this spiritual energy to the afterlife, I found the soul responsible. When I asked him to explain himself, he gave a shocking answer."
Batman had been in the same room with Vlad and Princess, watching them from an inconspicuous spot. He suddenly saw Preston enter, watching him as he shuffled to the side of the room. "Northwest just returned. Talk faster."
"The spirit had cursed the Northwests for wronging him and the fellow lumber folk, a curse that would activate one hundred years later. He would burn the mansion and all those inside unless they opened the gates to the common citizens. Preston and his wife still would not, but their daughter did… in spite of her parents, she opened the gates, allowing the spirit to rest."
"So Preston and Priscilla nearly allowed an entire mansion of people to die. It's awful, but I don't think it'll hold in court based on the account of a ghost."
"It's worse than that, Bats." Mr. Terrific said somberly. "The ghost had a great memory of what exactly happened that night. Pacifica's father tried to stop her… by ringing a bell. A bell that made her freeze. A bell that she had to power through to open the gate." Terrific paused. "Now what kind of training method do we both know about that could cause that kind of response out of a girl?"
Batman scowled, clenching his teeth. "Pavlovian Conditioning."
"Right. Batman… we can't allow that man to keep holding custody of the girl. If he didn't change before, he won't change any time soon."
"I'll see if I can collect any info that could assist in that, but I don't know if he'll bring it up. Just keep at standby."
"Will do. Mr. Terrific, out."
Doctor Fate, however, remained on. "Batman… I found something else in that town. Something that could be a danger to the entire universe if left unattended. However, I believe it can be saved until after this mission is ended. Doctor Fate, out."
Hmph. That was certainly foreboding. Yet another piece of information to add to the conspiracy, perhaps? But Doctor Fate was right- it would have to wait.
It was almost time…
"Took you long enough to get here."
Monty growled. Despite her claims of having grown, he still believed she was nothing more than a brat. "Oh, do be quiet. I was taking precautions concerning my part of the plan. They were certainly needed if what Vlad says is true."
"How on earth it takes you and all the rest of Possible's villains so long to coordinate anything is baffling."
"Well, I'm sorry we can't all be Luthor's little darlings. If you don't mind, I'd rather make sure things are perfectly planned rather than rushed out."
Vlad interrupted both of them, a nervous Preston in tow. "Save your bickering for after the meeting. We must attend to the problem at hand. Immediately."
"Oh, for God's sake- I thought we'd be leaving the buffoon out of this." Monty groaned.
"I must ensure that all parties are coordinated and doing their job. Now, come along." The quartet moved towards a room, being 'guarded by a very large man. "Why, thank you for reserving our room, Dimitri. Could you make sure no one disturbs us?" The man grunted in response.
Unbeknownst to them, Bruce Wayne had entered the room adjacent to them and locked the door. As soon as he made sure no one was in there, he pressed a small button on his collar.
Almost immediately, his suit dissolved, before covering his entire body. Soon, the man looked more like a shadow of the Dark Knight, albeit without his bat symbols.
"Nanotech suit deployed. Comms online. Taps deployed." As he stated, about a few dozen miniature bat-shaped objects flew out from his suit, some onto the wall that his room and theirs, some out the window, and some went under the door he just entered. All were outfitted with the same tech that had hidden his nanotech Batsuit and soon nestled into various spots surrounding the room. His suit's eyesocket projected and x-ray, allowing him to see all suspects. "Room is wired. Be ready."
"So…" He heard Vlad begin on the other side.
"…why don't we just cut the pleasantries and get to the point. Things had been going smoothly for a while. Morbucks had just finished fusing the Chemical X she acquired into the compound. Monkeyfist's magical artifacts ensured that both the Chemical X and the Ecto-energy fused properly and would invoke the exact effects we wanted from it. And all three of our enemies' rogues galleries agreed to cause trouble and draw attention away from our exploits. Everyone was doing their part… except for Bane."
"Bane? How on earth did he screw up? He's a very consistent partner." Morbucks questioned.
"Indeed he should be. Per our agreement, he would assist in helping us smuggle our compound to each other, as well as combining it with his Venom, and he would be paid handsomely when our plan came to fruition. However, all that was for naught, as he has been recently been caught by the Batman after SELLING VENOM ON THE STREETS!"
Monkeyfist slammed his fist onto the table. "What?! But we specifically told him to stay under the radar! This could set back our plan drastically!"
"I am aware. But now we must contact him to ensure he has not compromised the plan in any other ways."
Morbucks pondered. "He wouldn't be so careless. Something's not right about this."
In their anger, they failed to notice Preston becoming increasingly nervous. He began to sweat as he used a special phone to call Bane.
"So that's why Mojo and the others have been such a pain in the ass recently." Batman heard Buttercup say.
"Now that I think about it, Drakken and Shego were confused about why my other rogues had been going ballistic with plans. They were the only ones confirmed not to have been brought in on this."
"But why are they working together in the first place? Why would they coordinate with each other on such a grand scale?" Bubbles wondered.
"Batman, the guard is bringing Bane the contraband phone."
Mr. Terrific quieted them. "Everyone, clear the line. I think we're about to find out."
"Why hello there, Plasmius. I haven't heard from you in so long." Bane smugly said.
"Cut the chitchat, Bane, and don't use that name. What on earth were you thinking?" Vlad asked in anger.
"Nothing more than a little moonlighting on the side, Vlad."
"'Moonlighting?' You were supposed to keep a low profile! Instead, you sell Venom out in the open for almost three weeks, and get yourself captured by the Batman! You didn't hold up your end of the deal!"
"Why don't you talk to your associates about deals before you scold me?"
Vlad was taken aback. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"When we first agreed to help one another, I asked you for an upfront payment, yes? A reasonable amount that would accommodate the demands you required. Well, I'm afraid I was dangerously close to going over budget. Why you may ask? Because I had yet to receive one-fourth of that payment!" It was at this point that Morbucks noticed Preston was shaking.
"What!? Hold on, Bane, I ensured that all of us sent our share of payment to you."
"Really, Vlad? Then why don't ask Preston over here why he's suddenly so sweaty?" Morbucks suggested.
Vlad looked over to find the now terrified Northwest. His face grew into a look of ferocity. "You." He bellowed. "What did you do?!"
"Allow me to answer that." Bane said before Preston could get a word out. "After going months on end with him constantly telling me that I would get his share eventually, I called him personally. I told him "Pay me, or there will be trouble". Do you know what he did? He dared to send me a fake payment. And when I warned him of the consequences? He said it was more than I deserved, and that I shouldn't expect any money after the job either. This… insulted me greatly."
Vlad seethed, moving closer to Preston. "I see. Thank you for your cooperation, Bane. Perhaps next time we can make a deal on far better terms." He calmly hung up…
…before swinging around and grabbing Preston by his collar. "YOU IMBECILE! We've been planning for months to infect our competition with the compound to dissuade their investors and draw interest in our work! We spend painstaking amounts of time making sure that we would increase our profits, as well as strike our enemies at their hearts! AND YOU GO AND SCREW EVERYTHING UP!" Vlad threw him across the room.
Preston slowly got up, wincing at his new bruises. "But… he was just a common ruffian!"
"That 'ruffian' is one of smartest men in the world, dolt!" Monkeyfist chastised. Morbucks in the meantime had resorted to fiddling with something on her wrist.
"Well, I… er, that is… please, Mr. Masters, don't cut me out of the deal, I can pay him now!"
Vlad slowly walked towards Preston, the Northwest backing up to try and keep space between them. "Oh, I'm afraid that's not possible at this point. Your time in this partnership has come to an end." Preston noticed as Vlad's hands began to glow a deep green, and his face grew more demonic. "However, I think that being cut from this partnership is the least of your worries now."
Batman listened in as the meeting delved into chaos.
"'Infect their competition'? What does that mean?" Blossom wondered.
"What's the sitch, Wade?" Seems Kim had brought her informant into the communication. "No… No, they've gone too far this time!"
"What is it, Kim?" Bubbles asked her.
"My father- Dr. James Possible, creator of the Powerpuffs- Professor Utonium, and two ghost experts named Jack and Madeline Fenton have been working together for months ever since a science expo in Gotham. They've been experimenting with Chemical X and Ecto-energy to hopefully apply it to interplanetary travel! Not a few weeks later, Vlad and his group announced they were working on similar plans."
"Wait… so, you're saying…" Buttercup muttered, piecing it together. "THOSE ROTTEN BASTARDS!"
"Buttercup, calm down! We won't let that happen!" Blossom yelled.
"Let me go! We need to go protect the professor!"
"She's right, even if she's going nuts about it. We can't risk the scientists being targeted now. We'll need leaguers to ensure that Dr. Possible, Professor Utonium, and Jack and Madeline Fenton are unharmed, and to investigate for any mercenaries afterward. Buttercup, I'll send you too, but you need to simmer down. We can't risk drawing attention to this." Terrific stated.
Buttercup was silent for a moment before responding. "Ok. Just let me protect my dad."
"Of course. Batman, I'm dispatching Kim, the Powerpuffs, and several Leaguers to protect the scientists." He heard his comm adjust slightly. "Bats, I didn't want to say this to them, but this is bad. With Preston being so careless, the others are likely to scramble and start burning bridges. It won't be impossible to convict them, but it'll get a lot harder."
"We'll have to cross that burnt bridge when we get to it." He was thinking about something else, however. Morbucks was right, Bane usually wasn't so careless. Unless… "I get it now. Bane must have meant it when he said he was insulted. He's playing it like he was trying to make up for the missing cost, but he must've drawn attention to himself on purpose."
"I see what you're saying. He wasn't just insulted by Preston; he was insulted by the rest for keeping such a liability around in such a professional agreement. So, he left his computer filled to the brim with delicate data for you to find. Bats, I get the feeling they're about to get a lot more paranoid about their surroundings."
"Agreed. I think we have all the necessary info we need, anyway. Retrieve the Nanobats and we'll plan out our next move." Mr. Terrific typed in a command on the other side. Soon the Nanobats had returned and merged back with his suit, as he changed it back into the tux. Combing his hair down, he stepped outside.
As soon as he had done so, Preston immediately burst from the room next to him, running off to who knows where. 'I don't think it's wise to leave him alone after that.' Bruce thought to himself. There was no telling what he would do in such a panic.
Before he could move to follow, two of Whimsley's security moved in front of him. "Excuse us, Mr. Wayne… we detected some weird readings in this area. After doing a deep scan, we noticed you seem to be holding some very high tech on you. Could you please explain?" One asked.
"Hmm? Oh! My apologies. I meant to tell Whimsley about it, but the man has been so busy tonight I haven't had the chance. I've been testing out a set of nanobot clothing to present at the Tech Show on Friday." 'Vlad's ghostly outburst must've gotten them stirred up. Need to sort this out quickly and find Preston.'
The two security guards smiled. "Ah, the Tech Show. I understand, Mr. Wayne. Just answer a few questions for us and we'll let you on your way."
Vlad was steaming mad. So mad, in fact, that his hands were still glowing.
"Would you put a lid on it, Plasmius? You're gonna get Whimsley's security to dogpile us at this rate!"
With the warning of the young girl, Vlad forced himself to calm down, turning back into his human form. "Perhaps I went overboard, but even still. You heard Bane. He obviously got himself caught on purpose to teach us a lesson, and it's all that oaf's fault." He groaned. "All that planning, gone to waste…"
"Great. Dr. Dementor will never let me hear the end of this…" Monkey Fist grumbled.
"Oh, for god's sake. This is why Luthor saw something in me and not any of you. Clearly, neither of you know how to salvage a plan." Princess was typing away on her holographic wrist gauntlet. I'm already covering our tracks. You can thank me later." The two men simply glared at her. "As for Northwest… oops, it looks like he just stole large sums of money from all three of us."
"But I was saving up to buy a sumo gorilla!" Fist objected.
"I thought I told you not to meddle in my bank accounts!" Vlad shouted at her.
"Would you two shut it?! You'll get it back when he's convicted. Besides, I did it to myself, too. You have to learn to make a few personal sacrifices here and there. Break a few eggs…" She closed her gauntlet. "Of course, it will take some time before the compound can be utilized now. You should consider yourselves lucky that it was one of my facilities that had it last reached. We can hide it for a time until we can safely plan to use it again. Of course… with Vlad's inability to keep control of this operation, and Fisk having the same problem-solving skills as a Chimp..."
"Why you little…"
"Please, I am at least on an Orangutan's level."
Both were interrupted as Princess brought her sparking arm up. The two took a step back. "…it's become abundantly clear that I have to take the reins. Whether you like it or not."
By the time Ben and Danny had come back, Yugi and Anzu had already returned to the group.
"Oh, hey!" Ben greeted the duelist. "Heard you had to step out for a moment. You think you're gonna be okay?"
"Hopefully. I'd hate to miss the fun." Yugi gave a small smile.
Ben nodded before returning to his partner and girlfriend. "Hey, you two. How goes helping Pacifica?"
"She appears comfortable. But I am concerned with the way her father spoke to her. If I did not do anything to assist, it would feel like going against everything my Plumber badge stands for. But I am unsure how to approach her." Rook pointed to the young girl as she conversed with the others.
"You're thinking too much like a Plumber, Rook. There's a saying I've heard going around recently… sometimes people don't need a hero, they need a friend." Julie put her hand on Ben's shoulder, who smiled in response, only to look down and frown. "If she knows that we're here for her, ready to listen, then she'll become comfortable enough to talk to us about it."
"Julie's right. She probably wants to get to know us more before she spills her heart out. If her dad's given her freedom for the entire week, that just means we have a better chance of helping her." Ben approached the young girl, as she was being told by Jonouchi how he won against Espa Roba.
Pacifica noticed him coming over and decided she wanted to see what the hero was like. "Oh, like, hey. Ben, right? Sorry, we haven't had the chance to really talk yet."
"It's cool. I'm just glad everyone's having a good time. Looks like this batch of teens is gonna be hanging out together from now on. I take it you'll be joining us?"
"Well, yeah. Now that my dad has… backed off a bit."
"Oh yeah. I… was talking to a friend away from the group, but I heard about that. Your father seems like… well…"
"I know." She said, sighing in response.
"You seem a bit uneasy. You okay."
"…Maybe. I can't but feel nervous about… something. It's kind of scaring me."
Ben looked as she sideyed the nearby wall. "Well… whatever that something is, I can tell you something I'm one hundred percent confident in one thing." She looked back at him. "Everyone here will have your back when it comes around. Now, and after the week is over."
Pacifica slowly smiled at that, reassured by this statement. Ben gave her a thumbs up in response. "Now let's go and just keep getting to know everyone. I'm sure they've all got stories to tell."
Pacifica nodded and the two rejoined their little club.
Pacifica still missed the twins. She still missed Wendy, Soos, the Grunkles, Candy, Grenda, and all the rest. But even though she had been dragged away from all of them, off to be nothing more than a pretty thing for her father to show off for an entire week, she was glad she came. She'd been meeting so many people she could never forget at this point, people that she wouldn't have met if she hadn't come. And as she sat there, listening to stories of aliens and card games and ghost hunting, she couldn't help but feel on top of the world.
"Pacifica!" At the sound of her father's voice, her positive feelings faltered. Standing there, both he and her mother were expectantly waiting for her. His hand making a 'come hither' motion. "We're leaving. Now."
"Already? It's kind of early to call it a night, isn't it?"
"No, we're leaving the island. Get a move on."
"What?!" Pacifica exclaimed. "What are you talking about?! You just told me I was free to do what I wanted!"
"Yes, well, things change. Now move."
"What's the rush, Preston?" Ben asked in full suspicion. He was very panicky for some odd reason. Bruce did say Northwest had been part of the same deal he had been investigating, so maybe… "Something go wrong?"
"That's none of your business."
"I dunno. You were part of a business deal with two known criminals, former or not. I'd say you'd have quite the reason to be worried if you ran into trouble." He smugly questioned. "Princess Morbucks and Monty Fisk, right? As a hero, I'm asking out of concern, honestly."
"Wait… you're right! I remember hearing that you were part of that deal! Figures, anyone who thinks Vlad is good company is probably rotten to begin with." Danny folded his arms, glaring at Preston. Pacifica looked at him in surprise.
"None of that concerns you! My business is my business!"
"Vlad? Vlad Masters? But he… he was the one who talked to my dad about lightening up on me. He was the one who asked me to help you, Sam." Pacifica stated. How could he have been a bad person?
Both Danny and Sam gave her shocked looks. "Pacifica… you talked to Vlad?"
"Yeah, he said he was a family friend of yours."
Sam placed her hands on Pacifica's shoulders. "Pacifica, he is no friend of my family's, and definitely no friend of mine. At all. Whatever he did, whatever he said to you, was to benefit himself. For god's sake, he's had the creepiest obsession with my boyfriend's mom for the longest time."
"I know he may have seemed nice, but the guy is bad news. Think about it: what good can he do, being partnered with two people that have criminal records, and this pompous jerk?" Danny gestured to Paz's father.
Pacifica thought on both of their statements. Her hands balled into fists, trembling in anger. "I don't believe it. You really have gone straight back to the old Northwest way, haven't you? Here I thought that all those summers ago you would have been humbled, at least in the slightest, but you're just the same horrible man you've always been!"
"You will mind your tone, young lady! Your attitude has been consistently abominable this week, and I am at my limit with it! You will obey us, or-"
"NO!" Beginning to march aggressively towards her father. "I'm not going to, and no one ever will again! And that just burns you up inside, doesn't it?! You want to control everything and everyone in your life because you think you're better than everyone! That you're some king who everyone has to bend their will to! But when the world doesn't give you that control, you reveal who you really are- a small, insignificant and vile rat, who can somehow live with being the descendant of crooks and liars, as long as it means that he doesn't have to acknowledge that he descended from a CRAP SHOVELER! What do you have now to even be proud of?! A mudflap factory? A yes-man of a wife who most likely doesn't have an ounce of love in her body for you?! A petty grudge on a family that lives in a tourist trap?! And look where it's gotten you, scared out of your mind from some deal gone bad, scrambling to regain a suppressive hold on anything, even your own daughter! Well, you're not getting it. You're nothing. Less than nothing. A cold, empty man who clearly hasn't truly cared for anything but money and power for a long time. And I won't let you control me anymore."
Preston was seething. The others were silent, completely unexpecting the outburst. Pacifica simply turned to remain with her friends, content in telling off her father.
But Preston was far too angry to leave it there. He was so furious, that he stopped considering the ramifications of what he was about to do in front of witnesses. "You think I can't control you?" He growled, pulling out a box and opening it. "You are my possession. And you will obey me."
Maybe it was because of her happiness in chewing out Preston, or that she had become so relaxed around her new friends… but Pacifica's guard had been let down. And when she heard the long, high pitched ringing that had haunted her life, she froze.
All the memories began flooding back.
"Hee hee… hahaha! Pretty birdies!" Pacifica giggled, chasing after the peacocks in the garden. One peacock, terrified by the three-year-old child, left the garden in a panic. Pacifica simply giggled some more as she waddled after it.
Where'd the birdie go? She lost it… she somehow had ended up in the shiny room her parents really liked. "PACIFICA ELISE NORTHWEST!" She cringed at her father's voice. What did she do? "You've tracked mud all over the silver room! We have important guests coming tonight! You shouldn't even be playing in the garden in the first place!"
"Sowwy." She shuffled around. She hadn't meant to make daddy so upset.
"That's not going to cut it, young lady. We told you about the new rule. When we ring the bell, you do as you are told. Since you didn't listen, you have to be punished. Northwests are not messy hooligans."
"D-daddy? Mommy? Pwease come open da door!" She cried, stuck inside a small closet with no windows or lights. "Is dark! I'm scared! Pwease…" She began bawling uncontrollably, unable to escape from the darkness, and no one coming to save her for a good few hours.
From that day on, Pacifica did her conscious best to never set foot in that room, or on that carpet design… even when she was clean.
"I don't know, Lady Pacifica…"
"Please, Miss Hollenday? You're the best chef we have!" Seven-year-old Pacifica pleaded to the young chef. She had seen beautiful chocolate chip cookies on TV and was obsessed with learning how to make them.
"Yes, but your mother has told me numerous times that you aren't allowed to learn… "commoner's work"." She mockingly said, the brit offended by how it had been worded.
"But I… I'm not learning, I'm just uh… waiting! Waiting for a batch I asked you to make for me!" She reasoned.
Miss Hollenday smiled at her. "Finding loopholes already, aren't you? Yes… yes, I suppose I could simply make you some cookies. There's no harm in that, right?" She always knew how to brighten up Pacifica's day, whether it be making her food just the way she liked or giving her a nice treat after a troubled day. She was someone Pacifica could confide all her troubles and secrets to.
Hollenday proceeded to prepare a batch of cookies, with Pacifica watching intently at how each step went. When they had finally come out and cooled, she instantly shoved one in her mouth. "It's… so delicious. These are the best, Miss Hollenday!" The woman gave her a sincere smile in response. A smile Pacifica wished she could see in her mother.
"I hope they were, young lady. Because you're in big trouble!" Pacifica jolted, finding her mother standing in the doorway. "We told you that you weren't allowed to cook! That is servant work!"
"B-but I wasn't learning! I was just having Miss Hollenday make me some!"
"I am not a foolish young woman, Pacifica. We rung the bell and told you it wasn't allowed, and you disobeyed us. As punishment, you will not have any meals for the next few days, only water. Northwests are not pigs."
"Now hold on a minute! That's too much!" Miss Hollenday balked. "I'll admit I've turned a blind eye to several questionable things you and your husband have done to this town, Priscilla. But I won't let you starve this child!"
"Oh please, do not attempt to think you can tell me what to do. Winthrop, take Pacifica to her room." She told a man next to her. "Besides, it will be good for her to lose the weight you've inflicted on her with your 'spoilings'."
"Now you listen here, you plastic, barbie doll wench-" The doors to the kitchen slammed, as Pacifica was taken away.
When Pacifica had finally been allowed to eat after three days, she had felt so weak. She entered the kitchen for the first time in a while, hoping Miss Hollenday could make her feel better. But she couldn't find her anywhere. "Mister Arpeggio? Where is Miss Hollenday?" She asked the sous chef.
"Uh… I… I'm sorry, Lady Pacifica. Miss Hollenday no longer works for the Northwest family."
In spite of feeling unbearably hungry, Pacifica felt too sick to eat that night. She simply sat in her room and cried.
"Second place? A lousy second place trophy?! Even after all the training?! What good is all of the hard work we put into you if you only get silver instead of gold?!" Preston chastised, as ten-year-old Pacifica sat there with her mini golf trophy.
"But… I tried my best. The other girl was just better. I mean, I still had fun!" She argued.
"Fun? Bah! There is another tournament that the same girl is entering in a few weeks. You will train with Sergei every day until that tournament, however long we tell you!"
"But… but I was going to see the Sev'ral Times concert on Friday! And I'm already so tired from today's competitio-"
A ringing bell silenced her. "You will do it. Northwests don't settle for second best."
She couldn't reject the bell. The bell only meant bad things would happen if she disobeyed. Any bit of happiness in her life would be taken if she didn't abide by the bell. She had to obey. If she obeyed it, she would be happy.
The next few weeks had passed, and she had easily beaten the other girl. As she laid down on her bed, exhausted, she took her gloves off, revealing the blisters beneath. And she silently shed tears, too afraid to admit that she wasn't happy at all.
"I was right about you all along. You're just as bad as your parents." Dipper told her right to her face. She found herself getting far more upset than she thought she would at these words. "Another link in the world's worst chain!"
"I'm sorry! They made me! I should've told you, but-" The bell rung, and she silenced herself. She… she couldn't... but she wanted to so badly. She watched sadly as the boy she'd gotten to know that night walked out the door… another shred of happiness she had found taken from her.
Always by the bell.
Preston strolled past her, unmoved by the display. "Hmph. Don't look so glum. Northwests don't have friends. They only have people who can be of use."
Pacifica stood there, hyperventilating and stuck in her memories. Preston had yanked her towards him in the meantime. The group had immediately become worried about her. Even Kaiba's concern had been drawn, his eyes widened.
"Pacifica? Pacifica! Say something!" Sam shouted.
Julie's eyes glowed green, moving to try and take her from her father. "Ben, she's showing signs of PTSD!"
"What'd you do to her, you no good jackass?!" Jonouchi stepped towards him, intending to throttle the man.
Yugi was strangely silent. His eyes had gone blank.
Preston stood there in silence, his hair messy. He had been reckless, and now... No! "SECURITY!" He yelled off to the side.
Immediately, several of Whimsley's security responded, running over. "What's the matter, sir?"
"These ruffians have disturbed me and upset my daughter greatly. Just look at her!" He gestured to his trembling daughter (who's condition was not helped by Preston's callous approach). "I demand that you apprehend them at once!"
The security guards approached the group, as Preston and Priscilla ran off with Pacifica. "I'm gonna have to ask you folks to come with me." The big one said.
"Hey, hold on a second! That asshole's lying!" The security guard grabbed Jonouchi before he could run after the Northwests. "Get your hand off me before I knock you clean off your feet!"
"Jonouchi, stop! Listen, guys, I can clear this up. Please sirs, that young girl is in a lot of trouble."
"Mr. Tennyson, we are far less inclined to believe you than you might think. You have already scared a guest as a giant tiger wrestler man. It's easier to believe you are the source of the problem."
"Guys! He's gone! He's getting away with Pacifica!" Sam pointed out to where the Northwests had been.
"Miss, please step back."
"I don't like this, they're getting way too rowdy." A smaller guard next to him said. "We need to incapacitate them before they bother the other guests."
"Agreed. I'm sorry folks, but if you won't cooperate-"
"STOP!" Everyone turned to find Bruce Wayne, a stern look on his face. "You should be more open-minded to what they have to say. Their statements have merit."
"I… apologize, Mr. Wayne, but they-"
"I have suspicions that Preston Northwest and his wife are abusive to their daughter in one way or another."
"That's a very bold claim, Mr. Wayne. Can you back that up?"
"Sure. I'm sure my associates can attest to it."
"He's right. We can." Ben stepped forward. "But I think the most damning thing is right before he called you over. Northwest pulled out a bell and rang it for almost a full minute. I know why, but Pacifica looked as if she had fallen into a panic attack afterward."
"I see." Wayne turned to the others. "Can any of you tell me of how else Northwest might've treated his daughter?"
Billy bolted up to the front. "Sure! I'll tell ya! The guy came to her earlier and said that she should be happy he was letting her "off the leash" as if she were a dog! Oh, my poor Pacifica…" He muttered the last part.
Sam thought back the entire night, just to make sure. She suddenly remembered the girl's attitude when she had come to help Sam. "She… has the warning signs of issues with her self-worth." She knew that inner conflict all too well.
Surprising the others, Kaiba spoke up. "When I found her, her father had pawned off some hapless suitor to bother her, and was very keen on demanding that she stay under his heel."
"I see. Much of that is telling of how he treats her behind the scenes, but the biggest factor is indeed the bell. All the evidence in hand supports the idea that Preston uses Pavlovian Conditioning on his daughter."
"No way…" Julie said in shock.
"What? What is this Pavlovian Conditioning?" Rook questioned her.
"Pavlovian Conditioning is a method of training to associate with a controlled stimulus. But it's a training that's supposed to be used only on animals." She emphasized the last part.
The group immediately went into an uproar. 'What?!' 'That mustache oaf would treat an angel like Pacifica as an animal?' 'What a pathetic man…'
"Okay! Enough!" The large guard shouted at them. "Mr. Wayne, this information is indeed worrying, but I don't know if we can push ourselves into such a situation…"
Bruce got into his face. "Horace Whimsley has already invited much controversy for inviting criminals to his island. But if word were to get out that Preston turned out to be abusive to his daughter and that Whimsley let such a thing slide instead of helping… do you think he'll be happy that his guards brought such trouble to him?"
"N-n-no." The guard shifted uncomfortably, before speaking into his earpiece. "Close off the mansion at once! No one gets in or out until Preston and Priscilla Northwest are found. Yes sir, I know, but Bruce Wayne has accused him of child abuse. Yes, I can assure you Mr. Wayne can vouch for me. Yes sir, right away." He signaled for his fellow guards to follow him. "Mr. Wayne, since you were so keen on us looking into this, perhaps I could ask you to come vouch for us as we explain to our boss why we're suddenly causing such a ruckus?"
"Of course. Let's leave this group alone. It sounds like they're going through enough as it is." As they walked away, Ben could see Bruce turn back to him and mouth the words 'Find her'.
Ben nodded. 'Of course. If I didn't back up what I said to her before this all went down, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror.' 'You already couldn't.' 'Shut it, I don't have time for your crap right now.'
Once the guards were out of sight, Ben gathered the group together. "I know you all want to find Pacifica, but we need to coordinate or else we won't get anywhere fast. Okay? So, Preston can't get out of the mansion now, but there's no telling how long it'll be before security locates him. If we work together, we can get Pacifica away from him and help her through her PTSD-induced panic attack. Everyone onboard?"
"Yeah!" The others agreed. Kaiba only 'hmphed' in response.
However, Anzu was busy looking around. "Uh, Anzu? You onboard or what?" Jonouchi asked.
"Where is he? Jonouchi, Honda, anyone… please tell me you've seen Yugi!" The teens responded instead by looking around. "In the heat of the moment… I only took my eyes off him for a few seconds!"
"Come to think of it, I haven't. Guess he wandered off." Honda replied to her.
Anzu flew into a panic. "No, no, NO, NO! We need to find him NOW!"
Her friends were startled by her suddenly losing her cool. "W-what? Why?!" Jonouchi asked her.
"Or else… or else he's going to do something he'll regret forever!"
Preston peeked out from a room far away from most of the party's commotion. No one yet.
"Preston, what are we going to do? If what you say is true, then…"
"Quiet! I need to think!" He scolded before shutting the door.
He thought no one had seen him. But in the shadows of the hallway, a sinister-looking Yugi watched the door Preston had been peeking from. A golden glowing Egyptian eye was shining on his forehead. He smiled.
"Saa, game no jikan da."
…
…
…That was Konami Yugi's voice that said that btw, not Toei's.
So the penultimate chapter of the first night has come around, and I've ended it on a cliffhanger. Honestly, it's so I can provoke myself not to spend too much time away from the story… hopefully.
Let's talk notable reviews!
Guest who talks about Ben's Love Interests- Yeah, it seemed like the emotions were genuine in Alien Force and… some of Ultimate Alien. But Ben and Kai? "God Dammit, would the two of you shut up? You sound like you're having a pissing match every time you share the screen, not falling in love." The worst kind of bad Slap Slap Kiss relationships.
I wouldn't have even minded all that much if they had broken up Ben and Julie naturally, but no. They chose the dumbest of ways to do it. They just plain wrote Julie off, put her on a bus and whatever else have you! God…
The dumbest thing though to this day is the writers responding by saying that real high school relationships don't last, and I could only sit there, dumbfounded. Uh, yeah, and Santa ain't real, but we don't necessarily watch fictional shows to reaffirm that depressing fact. Suspension of disbelief applies to romances in fiction just as much as action and comedy. Not to mention it's even harder to suspend our disbelief that Ben would get back together with a girl that only liked him for his werewolf form than it is for him to stick with his high school sweetheart.
Whew… uh, sorry about that. I just really don't like Omniverse. I've come to terms with Ultimate Alien, but I can never forgive Omniverse for its many heinous sins.
Gwencaster- Glad you like it! I only hope I can keep you satisfied from this point onward.
Actually, Julie's been turned into a super-soldier Koala with psychic powers. Trust me, it'll make sense in the context in the coming chapters. Yugi's just the first victim of her incoming rampage.
I did take a look at Deadly Decadence, though. Seems unique for a horror game, but yeah. Looks very close to what I was thinking of for the mansion.
Nightlocktheawesome00- You sure he's not like a parfait?
bLuewErewOlf25- Afraid I haven't played Persona. Not to mention I've pretty much already got my main characters for now. If I do a bit of research though, I may be able to cameo them. In fact, I'm open to anyone telling me quick summaries of characters they were hoping to see so that I might at least acknowledge them. I've already planned a few.
Everyone else, I hope you keep enjoying the story. Stay tuned for the conclusion of the first night!
In twenty years!
Nah, but seriously, I'll push myself to not take too long.