Disclaimer: I don't own the Simpsons. I'm just gonna go cry in a corner…

Sob, sob. I'm done. So, when we left off Lisa was on her way to her new job…

---- ---- ---- ----

As Lisa closed the door, she gave an involuntary shudder.

She looked around, expecting to see the Hired Goons waiting for her. But they had disappeared. She looked at her watch: it was 10:56. Someone was about to get an unexpected surprise.

She set off down the road, only once glancing back at her house, nervous of what was to come.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

Bart watched his sister leave from his bedroom window, jealous but strangely nervous, as though he knew, deep down inside, that some harm was going to come to her.

When she was out of site, he walked slowly downstairs. The doorbell rang, and he went to answer it.

It was Milhouse. "Hey Bart!" he said, "Is Lisa here?"

"She just left."

"Well…could you give this to her?" He held out an envelope.

"I don't think so." Bart said. "I don't know how long it'll be till I see her again."

"Why?" Milhouse asked, "Where did she go?"

"Haven't you heard?" Bart replied, "She's been chosen to be Mr Burns' second-in-command! What's in that letter?"

"I don't know." He said "A couple of Mr Burn's hired goons told me to bring it here."

"But they were just here!" Bart shouted.

"B-Bart." Milhouse quivered. "I-I'm scared."

"I think we need to see what's in that letter." Marge, who had appeared from nowhere, said. She took it from him and opened it. It was blank. "I think," she said, "Milhouse, that your father may be in a lot of danger." They all ran to the car.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

When they arrived at Milhouse's Dad's house, the first thing they noticed was a large black car, parked outside.

The license plate said H1R3D G00NS.

They walked up to the door and Marge knocked.

"What are you waitin' for? Just go in!" Bart said, as he opened the door.

"Bart!" Marge cried.

"M-Mrs. Simpson? M-my Dad could be in danger and I-I w-wanna find out if he's ok. I think we should just go in." Milhouse said.

"Ok" Marge answered. They all walked in.

"Dad!" Milhouse shouted. They heard a faint moan coming from somewhere in the back of the house. They followed it into the kitchen.

And saw Kirk Van Houten lying on the floor, covered in blood, with the two hired Goons that had been at the Simpson house earlier, standing over him.

As soon as the Hired Goons saw Marge, Bart and Milhouse, they ran out of the back door.

"DAD!" Milhouse screamed, and ran over to his father. "W-What have they d-done to you?"

In reply Kirk just moaned a little bit more, while Marge pulled out her cell phone and called an ambulance.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

The first thing that Lisa noticed when she arrived at Mr. Burn's mansion was that the gate was unlocked. This was surprising and a little unnerving.

She slowly walked through the gate, half expecting someone to jump out at her.

When she had crossed the threshold, and saw the nothing nasty was waiting for her, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Before she could knock on the huge door, it swung open.

And all hell broke loose.

---- ---- ---- ---- ----

At the hospital Kirk Van Houten was in a bad way. The bullet had torn into his liver, which had then become infected. He had been given a local anaesthetic to stop the pain, but there had been a lot of blood, and if there was one thing that made him squeamish, it was blood. Especially his blood. At the moment he was tossing and turning in his sleep, but it wouldn't stay that way for long.

A shadow crept into the room, and hovered over him.