Disclaimer: I do not own WordGirl. This is a fanfiction and it in no way reflects the views of the show's creators.
A/N: Life is still racing, but in three weeks school will be out and I can focus on more pleasurable things. Including starting chapter 24. Thanks for the patience.
The waters of the lake splashed against the bank shaping the sand and withdrawing pulling small stones and foliage with it. It was a very solemn landscape to behold, yet Adler took great pleasure in witnessing the repetitive scene. He didn't mind the rain dampening his clothes or the wind that slightly chilled him. This was an escape; and one that could rarely be appreciated at home.
"I've done so much."
The memory of releasing the princess floated into Adler's mind. How easy it would have been to kill her then. He would have been hailed a hero, but that wouldn't be enough to get him crowned king. No, Adler had known exactly what he had to do.
"Let her go then, drag her back now, and kill her on the eve of the king's death."
Automatic kingship. How dare Curtis call him a traitor.
But now that he had found the son of the late prince of Britannica . . . this changed everything. Adler didn't even know this boy existed, no one did. But if word of Tobey's existence ever got back to Britannica, all those years of Adler's life would have been wasted.
"Theodore." The name made Adler want to gnash his teeth. "You've thought of everything haven't you?" Adler's gaze fell out over the lake to the place of the explosion; his mind consumed by the thoughts of the first infiltration of Lexicon. A mission Adler couldn't easily forget.
It was eighteen years ago and Adler was just a soldier taking orders instead of giving them; as he had when he let the princess go. The king of Britannica had ordered an attack on Lexicon to kill the royal family who, at that time, were only three persons. Lexicon would be easily over thrown, and Britannica would rule all.
It was night time on Lexicon, but the sky was lit with the glow of weapons and war. Over the heads of the sleepy civilians was the Lexiconian air force fighting back the Britannican advance. War ships of every kind were battling in the sky and some . . . were falling back down. War was never supposed to be a pretty thing, but one soldier couldn't help but be captivated by the lights in the sky. Such a shame that each burst of reddish orange light meant that someone's father wasn't coming home, or someone's brother was gone, someone's aunt would never see them again.
Theodore MacCallister II stood memorized by the scene above. He was so preoccupied that he didn't notice his squad moving out. He had been assigned to work with a small group of highly trained soldiers whose mission was to infiltrate the Suidas palace and kill the royal family.
"Hey, your majesty," one of Theodore's comrades whispered to him. "We have to get moving. If we linger any loner they're sure to find us."
"Uh, of course."
The small group did their best to remain hidden on the rather barren terrain of Lexicon until they came upon the domed city harboring Suidas. There was only one gate into the city, but this small team would make no use of it. Britannica had already taken over many other planets that had specialized in technology, and they would make use of those machines, and people, whenever necessary. The small group was able to cut thru the protective glass and enter the city unnoticed.
"Okay," The leader of the group, Lieutenant Scots, spoke up; Theodore gave, most of his attention. "The king wants this done without any of us being caught. That said, I'm only allowing three of us to enter the palace while the rest of you cover. Theodore."
"Uh, uh, yes." The young prince straightened up.
"You maybe royalty but this is war. If you can't stay forced you're gunna get yourself killed, you got it?"
"Uh,"
"I said, do you got it, private?"
"Yes, sir."
Scots shook his head. Theodore lowered his. The prince knew his being there was a great burden on the rest of the military. He wasn't trained in combat, but upon his father's insistence he came. Insistence? No, on his father's command he came.
"Now listen to me boys," Scots gestured for the men to listen. "Adler, Theodore and I will be going into the palace, Andrew, Colin and William, you three will guard our point of entrée. If anyone comes near that point, you are to radio us and then get out of there, understood."
"Yes sir!" All the men responded accept Theodore. Scots eyed the inexperienced private, secretly wishing there was another way. But the king had demanded his son be taken on this mission and given, "The opportunity to prove his dedication to being king of Britannica's future." Scots wasn't certain what all that meant, but he was going to follow the orders of his king and captain. Hopefully Theodore could keep himself from getting captured.
"Let's move boys." The small group, armed with nothing more but communication devices and one petite laser gun, made their way to Suidas. They dressed as casual as possible before coming on this mission so as not to draw attention to themselves. No one seemed to notice them as most Lexiconians were distracted by the battle happening in space; that and no one on Lexicon could imagine anyone being able to infiltrate their city.
The band of men moved tirelessly to the wall built around the palace. There were several guard towers built along the wall, but, as with the citizens, the royal guards were preoccupied.
"Andrew, Colin, Will," Scots whispered and pointed to an abandoned lot across from the south wall. "Remember to call if any thing's amiss." Scots signaled for the other two men to follow him.
The south tower provided the safest entrée. There was only one guard due to the strength and height of the wall. The guard was probably sidetracked as well; the three Britannicans could be up and have subdued the man in no time. To which they did. The technology they had 'acquired' proved most helpful in shutting down Suidas' security system from within the south tower. Everything was going according to plan.
Theodore simply watched Scots and Adler work. They set up the equipment needed to scale the wall, they shut down security, they hacked the computers to upload the palace map into the communicators, they devised the route needed to best kill the king and then escape . . . they did just about everything.
Theodore glanced out of the tower window in time to see yet another ship fall from the sky in a burst of orange light. He couldn't tell to whom that ship's alliance lay, but from where he stood, it was a tragic sight nonetheless. People were dying.
"Theodore!"
The young prince was snapped out of his thoughts by his lieutenant.
"Y, yes sir." His voice trembled in his throat.
"You and Adler will take the west wing of the palace; there you will find the queen's cambers. She and the new born should be there. Finish them off and then use the map to get out. Remember, no noise and don't be seen." Scots then took hold of Adler's neck and brought him close to himself so that Theodore couldn't over hear. "I'm trusting you to take care of him son. I respect the prince, but it's clear he can't fight for nothing, got it?"
"Yes sir."
"Good, carry on then." With that lieutenant Scots made his way down the tower stair and to the east wing.
Adler opened his communicator and began to follow the map downloaded inside. He read it quickly before looking up to Theodore with a wicked smile.
"If we hurry maybe we could catch up to ol' Scots and see him do away with the king." Adler hastened to the stairs.
Theodore sent one more worried look to the sky before following his partner. Oh how sick it made him . . . Theodore was accustomed to the lavished living of palace life. Growing up in one, Theodore couldn't help but feel he was at home, hiding in his own shadows, preying after his own family. Everything about this felt wrong and yet . . . here he was, in a war he wanted nothing to do with, but could do nothing to stop.
The Suidas staff were all frightened by the events of the evening and had stationed themselves at the windows of the palace. The halls were virtually empty, making Theodore's and Adler's journey an easy one. Even the stationed guards had left their posts to view the scenes outside.
"What luck," Adler whispered to his partner. "The queen's door only has one guard. What's these Lexiconians' problem? I swear their retarded or something."
Or just greatly confused; these words drifted thru Theodore's mind, but he hadn't the courage to mouth them. He couldn't imagine this kind of calamity happening to his home. These people were scared, and rightly so. How could anyone perform their job accurately when warships could be crashing down on their loved ones, or their friends were being blown to bits in the sky.
The two Britannican men were standing just around the corner of their intended target. Adler peered around only for a minute more before facing Theodore.
"Okay," Adler motioned to his partner to come closer. "Lieutenant Scots wants you to actually kill the prince, so what I'll do is take out the guard allowing you to get in. But you gotta kill 'em quick 'cause we can't afford any miss-ups. Sound good?"
"Actually . . ."
"Let's go." Adler raced around the corner. He knew better than to fire his weapon; everyone would have heard it and come running. Instead he ran straight for the unsuspecting guard tackling him much like a football player would. Before the man could scream for help, Adler pulled his small pistol from its hidden position and proceeded to knock the man out of consciousness. "Theodore move!" Adler mocked yelled as his partner hesitantly came around the wall.
Adler motioned for Theodore to enter the room while he stood watch at the door. Theodore took a deep breath and placed a hand on the queen's door, but he couldn't gain the courage to open it.
"What are you waiting for?" Adler barked at the young prince.
"I, I . . ."
"Just go shoot 'em. The walls sound proof; what are you waiting for? Move!"
At this prompting Theodore quickly opened the door, his breathing so shallow he felt as if he may pass out. What took merely seconds to transpire felt like years to the prince of Britannica. Standing in that dark room, his partner coaching him from behind made the prince experience a kind of suffering he had only heard of; guilt, the quilt of a murderer. Theodore's heart pounded against his chest; his hands too moist to grip a weapon let alone aim it. His face felt so hot that his vision blurred; his mind devoid of good advice. Every inch of his skin seemed to crawl with nervous anticipation; could he do this?
For one moment the room was silent except for the raspy breathing of the Britannican prince. Then, a light turned on.
And sitting up in the room's bed was Queen Shuowen. A stunned look fixed on her face as her hand remained motionless on the lamp switch beside her bed. What should have taken mere seconds had transpired into years. . .
Adler shook his head of the memories of that night. He wanted nothing more to do with them; nothing more to do with Theodore. As Adler tried to turn and enter the lake house the memories seemed to follow him. As he tried to forget . . . the memories quickly arrested him and whispered the reminder . . .
As Adler rose from holding the lifeless guard on the floor outside of the queen's bedroom, Theodore turned to face him. And before any words could pass between the two Britannicans, Theodore drew his weapon. Adler stood at gun point at the hands of his prince; a member of the royal family he had swore his life to when he signed up to join the service.
"Sir . . ?" Adler choked out, confused by the prince's actions.
"Get out of here." The words were steady and firm; a tone the prince had never taken before.
"B-b-but the mission . . ?"
"Is over Adler," Theodore took hold of the door. "Get the others, and get out of here." Theodore closed the door.
Adler stood dumbfounded. What was happening here?
Adler waited, hoping that Theodore had simply wanted to do this mission alone as a way to show his bravery as Britannica's future king . . . but as moments passed, there was no gun shot, no cry, no nothing. What was the prince doing?!
Suddenly the halls to Suidas began to team with life. Guards were coming from all over, abandoning their former obsession with the war outside to deal with the infiltration of the palace. But how could they have known, Adler questioned as he began to make his retreat, could Theodore have warned the queen?
As Adler navigated thru the halls, it became apparent that the guards had little interest in going the way Adler had come. But if the queen had called for help, why were the guards . . . It was then Adler realized what was happening: Theodore had told the queen where Scots was heading; the east wing.
Adler couldn't just leave his father, so he made his way back to the west wing. There he could take the uniform of the unconscious guard and hopefully save his da . . . Lieutenant Scots. It was a long shot, but it had to work.
Adler hastened to the east wing, trying to blend with the Lexiconian men that surrounded him. How it terrified him to think of what would happen if they found out who he was. He was boxed in by the time the king's quarters came into view.
Just thinking about this time in his life made Adler's heart race. His fear seemed to ring in his ears when Lexicon's guards burst into the king's room, pulling Adler in like they were a wave thrusting him into the rocks of the shore.
The king's room was large and must have doubled as his office. The center of the room was open with a circular red rug placed perfectly center on the floor, in which Adler's father stood in the middle of. Adler had to stifle a gasp as the scene played out before him.
Lexicon's king stood at his desk watching the Britannican lieutenant remain valiantly firm in his final moments. Lexicon's captain of the guard, who was indubitably distracted by the warships just moments ago, had somehow been warned of Scots coming. The captain had Scots focused at the end of his weapon way before Scots could have ever thought to pull his.
"Captain Noah," King Flaccus's voice filled the large room and shook Adler to his core. "I charge this man, before you and these other witnesses, of the attempted murder of your king. I sentence him to immediate death, after which he will be stripped of his uniform and disposed in the most disreputable fashion known to Lexicon."
The king's orders were carried out on the spot, as the body was dragged out on the rug.
"And Noah, for your bravery and loyalty to your king, I promise before these witnesses to honor you and your family for this and all generations."
Adler could hardly hear the king's speech afterward.
As the waves continued to beat along the coastline by the lake house, Adler fought back the sorrow burning in his eyes.
"I'm going to make you pay for that Theodore." Adler breathed thru clenched teeth. "I will not be made the traitor because of you. I will not fail, not again, and not for you."
After a moment, Adler's anger subsided and he was allowed to once more hold his calm composure. He wasn't weak. This deep sorrow didn't make him weak. It made him stronger. His bitterness had fueled the fire that will drive him to victory.
"I'm the top royal advisor," Adler assured the wind that wisped past. "Every since that boy became a traitor I was respected for having the courage to escape with my life and the other men. We survived that day because of my abilities. I watched my dad die because of Theodore, but I was still strong enough to serve my king. To be loved by him in the absence of his traitorous son."
Adler faced the wasters again with a renewed sense of purpose; a smile carelessly strung across his face.
"I got dad's revenge on Noah, and now I'm going to see to it that King Flaccus's promise is passed to the next generation." Adler laughed in amusement; the wind blew strongly in his face as if to disagree with him. "There is no doubt. WordGirl can't run forever, I'll kill her and then be king over both planets. And I will enjoy the death of Theodore's son; it will be the icing on the cake."
Adler's attention was then drawn down to the railing of the pouch he was on. A small bee was struggling in the wind. The insect must have been wondering about earlier that day before the rain started and he was now stranded miles from home. Adler stared at the small creature. It reminded him of himself that night on Lexicon.
"Fighting insurmountable odds."
No, Adler had overcome those odds. He didn't allow his father's death to stop him, he allowed it to mold him into the fine solider trusted as the head for the next Lexicon invasion. He allowed it to encourage him not to take pity on King Flaccus and Queen Shuowen or their sons, not on Noah or his wife. He tamed that unbridled rage to allow him the opportunity to drag Noah's daughter before the Britannican court and slay her on sight, thus making him worthy enough to be king.
Yes, he was justified in wanting to kill Theodore's son. Curtis didn't see it, but he knew he was justified.
Adler looked to the bee.
"It is WordGirl who faces insurmountable odds now," Adler raised a fist over the struggling creature. "And I'm about to crush her flat."
o.
"It seems all the accommodations are in order." Nona smiled widely at the wagon full of supplies that she was taking back to the ship. The night was still young and the daring lakeside rescue had not yet taken place. Nona had only taken about twenty minutes loading up her supplies. "Now all I need to do is figure out how I'm going to fix WordGirl's ship so we can get out of here." The woman frowned as she looked back at her boat. "If only my ship were big enough for additional passengers."
Nona was only expecting to find WordGil on the planet Earth. The fact Tobey and Huggy were now coming along didn't help her situation.
"I can't wait for another ship to be delivered," Nona began pulling the wagon back to the hideout. "Zephyr would kill me if that happened." The woman laughed a bit to herself thinking of her employer's reaction. "I can hear him now, 'I told you to be back here days ago, why did you take so long! You want Britannica to win don't you!' Ha ha."
Nona continued walking in the direction of the ship humming a few tunes as she did so. She enjoyed the picturesque woods, the island, the Earthen sky. There was something pleasant about this planet; so pleasant in fact that it was hard to understand why anyone would want to leave it.
"This planet is so beautiful." Nona thought aloud as she moved her gaze from one tree to the next. "The changing weather, the living plants, even the dirt seems better here. There are lakes and oceans, and people from so many different cultures. The sheer joy of breathing naturally recycled air is a marvel in and of itself."
"I concur."
A voice startled Nona from her thoughts. The woman spun around releasing her hold on the wagon's handle. Who could that have been? Who else was on the island? Nona's mind raced with questions. If someone was here, Tobey's, WordGirl's and her true identities were in danger. She could only pray that this person hadn't found out that WordGirl was the princess of Lexicon.
"Who's there?" Nona asked the darkness hugging the trunks of the trees. "I demand that you reveal yourself and your intentions." Her fear was prevalent in her voice.
"Oh my no, I don't mean to frighten you." A figure began to emerge from around a tree. "I simply wanted to agree with you sentiments about nature. Masterful isn't it?" The man stood before Nona and extended his hand in a friendly manner. "Name's Professor James Dohickey." James stood still for several moments before he realized she wasn't going to take his hand.
"What are you doing here?" Nona only glared at him.
James allowed an uncomfortable smile to dominate his face as he continued to do his best to engage in cheery conversation.
"I probably should ask you that since I own this spit of land." He pulled his hand back.
"Do you?" the woman seemed to be thinking for a moment. "I'm sorry to trespass . . ."
"It's not an intrusion at all." James' mirth returned to him. "It can get pretty lonesome out here and I do enjoy company. Tell me, are you camping out here?" James motioned to the wagon.
"No, I'm . . . bringing some items to a friend who's been saying out here for a while. I'm not certain if she knew you owned this island or not but . . ."
James held his hand up to stop Nona. He then bent to pick up the handle to the wagon and gestured for Nona to lead the way.
"I think I might know to whom you're referring."
"Who?" Nona asked too urgently. James laughed in response. "What?"
"You don't have to worry. I'm friends with WordGirl too. In fact I've been harboring her ship here since she crashed it almost, I'd say, ten years ago. I was coming out here to check the disturbance made by your boat." He began walking toward the ship to Nona's dismay. "To be honest I'm glad to see she's trusting more people with her secret."
"So you're human and you've known her whereabouts all along?" Nona couldn't believe this. This human had come in contact with Lexiconian technology. Not only was that against High Law, but he was putting himself in danger of being eliminated by the ship's defense mechanism.
"Yes I have." James boasted. "My laboratory is just east of here. I like studying my new inventions away from the city, you know, just in case something goes wrong. Nobody messes with my island so I thought it would make the perfect hideout for our city's superhero."
"Did you ever report the ship when it crashed? Do others know it's here?" Nona got right up in James' face startling the man and causing him to stop. "You have to tell me everything, now!"
James stepped back from the woman.
"You are a friend of WordGirl aren't you?"
Nona couldn't respond. This couldn't be happening. High Law forbids this kind of interaction with Earth. This man was in direct violation of all that kept Earth safe from intergalactic contact. It was bad enough the whole city knew WordGirl was from Lexicon, but if this man was learning about Lexicon . . . she didn't want to think about it.
"Please tell me you've never told anyone about the ship."
"Well, I could tell you that," James watched Nona relax a bit. "But that would be a lie." Nona almost fainted. "Well I don't want to fib."
"What do you know? Who have you told?"
"First off, I'm the only one who knows the ship is here. Well, now you know, but based on your actions I presume you're from Lexicon too so it shouldn't matter."
"I'm not from Lexicon. I –I'm human."
"Your actions betray you." James hardened his expression as he studied the panicky woman before him. "I'm guessing no one was supposed to know about the ship?"
"Correct," Nona sighed. This mission was getting harder to keep secret. WordGirl had way too much interaction with the people of Earth for this to be a smooth transition. Nona looked around her surroundings and found an old log; she sat to rest her head in her hands. "I guess it doesn't matter if I tell you since you've pretty much figured it out . . . I-"
"Please don't." James joined the woman. "Obviously you wanted to keep this a secret, and I have the same intentions, I assure you. Allow me to set your mind at ease. As I've explained before, I live and work here making inventions for the city. Ten years ago I heard WordGirl's ship crash and I came to investigate. I was astounded by what I saw. A real alien spaceship; no small find for a scientist. I didn't want to tell anyone what I had found just yet. I never have told the location of the ship. I didn't want to worry the city at first; you know, alien invasion, stuff like that."
Nona only buried her face deeper in her hands. He continued.
"I studied the ship for days. I could tell it was damaged but I couldn't figure out how to open it or if anything was inside, but then the door opened. I'd never seen a door open like that before. It was as if the wall just, melted away. And there I was, about to make first contact . . ."
Did this man love hearing his own voice?
"Look," Nona sighed still covering her face. "I don't have time for this long story. You never told anyone about the ship being out here, right?"
"Right."
"And you've never been in the ship before, right?"
"Well actually, after I helped Captain Huggyface get a ride to the city, I became fast friends with the alien life. I kept their hideout a secret and in turn we have become like neighbors. Sharing technology, borrowing sugar, calling to ask if the other's electricity went out . . ."
"Have You Been In The Ship Or Not!?" Nona shot daggers from her eyes as she glared at the man. James was so surprised by the sudden outburst he slipped off the log and to the ground. He quickly got to his feet and stepped back away from the woman.
"I'm sorry," Nona quickly added. "I'm just under a lot of stress right now."
"I have been in the ship, but it was because WordGirl let me in. She wanted to thank me by letting me see some of her gadgetry. I only shared the simple machines with my colleagues, nothing else."
"Thank you."
The two were silent for a moment.
"I am from a planet similar to WordGirl's and I have come to take her back home," she tried to understand the look on the man's face. "She wasn't supposed to land here all those years ago. I, along with Captain HuggyFace, was supposed to take her to another home on Thesauria. But things went wrong and the two of them landed here. No one on Earth should know we exist, but I guess it's too late for that."
James heaved a sigh and straightened his glasses.
"Are you really going to take her away?"
"I have to. I'm sorry, but I have to. It's for her safety and Earth's. I need you to keep everything you saw a secret; it will be better that way."
There was a distant roll of thunder as a strong gust of wind sped past the two adults. Initiatively James looked up and spoke.
"She's here."
"Then I should be going." Nona rose to her feet. She grabbed the handle on the wagon. "I need to get working on fixing the ship."
Nona passed by James who seemed to be in a daze. The news of losing a friend must have been too much for him. He just kept gazing at the sky as if waiting for the words he just heard to make sense. They never would. Nona couldn't just keep walking. She dropped the handle again and went back to the man.
"I really am sorry, trust me, she'll be happy were she's going."
"So we'll never see her again?"
Nona raised an eyebrow. 'We?' Then it hit her. This man was speaking on behalf of the whole city. This city has been living with the little heroine for ten years now; they loved her like they did any other part of their city . . . but they would grow to forget.
"With time, you'll feel better."
"And her family?"
"I was never able to locate them, but they'll just have to cope with the loss like any other parent would . . ."
"But they're not going to cope are they? You're planet obviously hasn't!" James had snapped out of his stupor and was now advancing on Nona. "I'm not going to let you just take her away without saying goodbye."
"It isn't safe for her . . ." Nona's thoughts drifted to Adler.
"If it isn't safe for WordGirl, then who is it safe for?"
Nona just lowered her head for a moment.
"I understand that you think WordGirl has to leave. And I can even buy the idea that it's dangerous for her here, but may I ask you something?" James asked softly.
No response.
"May I come with you?"
Nona sized the man next to her and allowed her disgust to show.
"You said I already broke 'High Law' or whatever, so what risks have you. Please let me come. I want to help her. I want her to get home, and come home."
Nona stood and studied this man's face. She had just met him, and yet it felt like she was staring at a familiar face. This man had help take care the girl she had failed so many years ago. Nona knew how it felt to care for a child in WordGirl's position. James wasn't bent on hurting the young princess; he was truly looking out for her best interest. And to be honest with herself, Nona didn't like the idea of taking WordGirl away from her Earth family any more then James did.
"This trip is to save her life, and the odds are we won't be coming back."
"I don't have a family I need to come back to. . . WordGirl needs someone to help her speak on Earths behave. If you take her away, this city will have a hard time fighting its crime. Please let me talk to your superior about it. Maybe I can convince them to . . ."
"They aren't going to listen, Mr. Dohickey. WordGirl . . ." sigh. "I can't explain it all to you, but if you want to come and aid WordGirl in this transition from Earth to Thesauria, I won't stop you." It was against her better judgment, but she couldn't resist the offer. WordGirl deserved at least one earthen companion; even one as clueless as James.
Nona and James arrived at the ship. The side door to the ship melted away as the two adults approached it. Nona stepped in first. The ship was large enough for six people to live in comfortably. All the conveniences of modern living were included. Bathroom, kitchen, playroom, everything an escaping family would need. And thanks to Huggy's efforts, the ship was still neat and fueled. The only problem was the ship's damaged inner workings. Nona looked to James.
"You said you invented things right?"
"I do dabble in the science of mechanics, why?"
"If I lead you to the gears of this ship, do you think you could fix them?"
James thought for a moment and then smiled widely. How could he pass up a chance to tinker with Lexiconian technology?
"I can give it a try."
"Just don't sabotage it."
Just in the other room, Tobey and WordGirl had begun their face off. Tobey stood face to face with WordGirl now, just as frustrated as she. WordGirl looked tired and worn out from hours of useless hunting. She felt like a failure, and in more ways than one. She had failed her city, her family and her dearest friends. And now, she was even failing her enemies.
"Where's Becky?" Tobey was turning red from his anger. Here he was goofing around WordGirl's lair thinking she was off saving the day, and all she was doing was looking for Scoops . . . Tobey knew it was wrong to expect WordGirl to only save Becky, and yet the pain of it felt legitimate. He was justified in the concern he felt for Becky. "Where is she!"
WordGirl glanced back at the computer, her left hand still clenching Todd's hat like a dowsing rod seeking after him, though it wasn't. She wanted to tell Tobey that she didn't know where Becky was or that he shouldn't be in her hideout, but the words felt like marbles rolling around on her tongue. They would slop out if she tried to speak; slop out and scatter to undistinguishable hiding places in the room. So WordGirl kept her mouth shut, seeing there were no right words for this moment. Because the right words could only be:
"I don't know. I don't know where I am. And I wish I could be found, because somewhere in my failures and lies, I've lost myself. Behind the facade of heroism that I have built, I abused the facade I wore- the real me that you can't find."
"I'm not sure where Becky is." WordGirl spoke softly, toying with the map still present on the computer. "She'll be fine though, don't worry."
Tobey glared up at the map as he aliened his glasses. "Can't you look for her while you're looking for the reporter?"
WordGirl stared down at the hat.
Captain HuggyFace glanced up at WordGirl. He had come in closely behind Tobey, but hadn't made his presence known. He still remembered the state he left WordGirl in and was afraid that the circumstances would be thus. Todd was nowhere to be found and the Adler threat was more serious than he first expected. Adler would do anything to get to WordGirl and Tobey, maybe Todd's kidnapping was another trick. Huggy lowered his head sadly . . . but if he had to face these overwhelming odds, he shouldn't have to do it on an empty stomach.
Huggy left the computer room and made his way to the kitchen. As long as Tobey was being watched by WordGirl there was no reason for him to stay around.
Tobey analyzed WordGirl's disheartenment.
"Please, you have to look for Becky."
"I can't really do that right now." WordGirl looked back down at the hat, fingering the fabric, lost in her distraction.
"What?!" Tobey tried to hold his temper, but watching this so-called hero twiddle her thumbs while his friend needed saving . . . well it was just too much. And what was so interesting about that hat! Tobey snatched the reporter's hat from WordGirl's hands and positioned himself right in her face. "You're supposed to be a hero! So why don't you get out there and save people! Two-Brains is doing a better job than you."
"You think I'm unaware that I've failed the city!" The tears gushed from Becky's eyes like hot streams, but her words poured like a blistering current of rampant passions. "You think I'm unaware that WordGirl's unable to save the city. Crimes out of control, Scoops is missing, my family thinks I hate them and I keep lying to my friends. Well guess what Tobey, I know that. I can't save your Becky because she doesn't even exist. I'm just a failure."
Tobey wasn't certain how to respond to this sudden outburst. It was as if all the stability left in his world had finally faded away. . . There was no hero, there was no way to make it better. Just when life had given him something good, she would be placed in some weapon wielding lunatic's hands. . . WordGirl wasn't everything he had made her out to be in his head . . . or his heart.
"It doesn't pay to be good," Tobey said gently; WordGirl dried her eyes frantically trying to regain control of her emotions. "Being good, just isn't good enough."
"Don't . . . don't say that." WordGirl uttered.
"Look where it got Becky and Scoops, it didn't save them. And you seem to fail at it." Tobey tossed the hat to the side. "I did something good and it almost got me killed. You've tried to do 'good' and the evil still beats you. There's just no point in being good."
"Yes there is," WordGirl was on the defensive. "I help save people so that . . ."
"So they can be killed by something else. Good going hero!" Tobey spat. "The only reason you're a hero is because it gives you a nice feeling, some kind of purpose. You fly around saving people so you think you're a 'good' person. But now you see that your good works aren't anything but band aid solutions. Well the city's doomed thanks to your 'good works,' and I'm guessing you're getting too tired to keep trying them."
WordGirl couldn't believe what she was hearing . . . or that she couldn't think of a strong rebuttal. . . or that she wanted to believe them. She was tired from doing good. It caused her to lie, miss out on her friends and leave Scoops behind when he needed her most. She had saved Scoops just for him to end up kidnapped. Even her good intentions to spend Saturday with Violet had turned up wrong. And thinking about it now, she had always been lying to her parents to be a superhero. . . But wasn't that a good thing? Being a hero wasn't about feeling good, it was about helping people. Isn't that why she became a superhero?
She had never really thought about why she had become a superhero before. It just seemed like the right thing to do. 'If you have superpowers you should be a superhero.' It just made sense. But that explanation didn't seem good enough now. 'It is the right thing to do; helping people.' But what made it right? Because the people said it was right or, because it really was?
"Good- of a high quality or standard, either on an absolute scale or in relation to others-having or showing an upright and virtuous character-the positive part or aspect of something. Right-accurate, or consistent with the facts or general belief-morally justified and correct, or consistent with generally held ideas of morality and proper conduct."
"Stop it, I didn't ask you to define a word."
"I'm not defining it for you!"
"I'm the only one in here!"
"Whoa! Settle down!" Nona's voice cut thru shouting. "Children, I think it's time for both of you to relax from today's events and have a seat. I have something very important to tell you."