Athena returned to the throne room giggling like a school girl in front of her crush. She hadn't felt this way since she personally took the life of her older sister Vicky and immediately took the throne as the true ruler of the planet.
"I do love it when an infidel is executed General!"
"I know Your Highness, I know." Veronica had nearly thrown up at her display; however it didn't show on the surface.
Athena ignored her second in command's obvious apprehension. "I was as shocked as you were that it was that lunatic Crocker. Who knew he even knew how to function normally?"
"It appears that the psychiatric counseling he sought just before Vicky took "power" cured him of his insane rants and obsession with fairy godparents my Queen."
Athena nodded and walked to her throne. She once more seemed entranced by the old, worn out Crimson Chin doll that stood before her. The doll, it seemed to Veronica, seemed to stir up some long lost emotions in the Queen.
"I wonder…can we find the coroner's reports on when Timothy Turner died General?" Veronica panicked inside, but again covered it up.
"I'm sure we could my Queen. I believe that the reports still reside in either the former Travis County Sheriff's Department or more then likely the coroner's office in Austin. But why Your Highness?"
Athena paused, turning her full attention back to the doll in her lap. "I just want to make sure that our friend Timothy has not somehow risen from the grave is all." Does she somehow know? This isn't good. Was all that Veronica could think.
Meanwhile, A.J. and the rest of leadership began trying to formulate plans on a direct attack of Athena's citadel. The meeting had started out relatively calm, until A.J. suggested a radical course of action.
"We've got nothing to lose and everything to gain!" A.J. yelled as everyone argued and the meeting degenerated into a shouting match.
"Nothing to lose?! What about Tim? What if we attack and get the hell beat out of us? Athena would know where we are located and then she will obliterate us!" Sanjay yelled at A.J. This lasted another ten minutes until Trixie screamed in a shrill tone at the top of her lungs. The guys instantly shut up and stared at her.
"Guys, I think that we leave it to Tim. It's his mission after all. If anyone can take that bitch out, it's him." she stated calmly, belying her own fear over Tim's well being.
The guys looked at each other, nodding their heads. They all knew that when push came to shove…Tim was the man they could all count on. He had seen and done it all since he joined their cause…if anyone could take down Athena single handedly, it was him.
"Your right Trixie." Chester started, "But still we might need a contingency plan…just in case." They all agreed to that and began discussing any and all countermeasures, should Tim be captured and killed the same way Crocker was.
Tim stood in his quarters visibly shaken at the display he just witnessed. How on earth Athena could sleep at night was well beyond Tim's own rational thought. He did however have a sense that something was about to happen. Something major was about to unfold and somehow…as always…he would be in the middle of it. A knock startled him. He opened the door and there stood Veronica. "General…what can I do for you?"
Veronica only stared at him before talking. "I need to talk with you in private Neutron, follow me."
He followed her out into the hall and they started discussing different matters. Once they were outside the palace gates, Tim turned to Veronica.
"It's been a long time Ronny." This caused Veronica to gasp and turn to him.
"The same could be said of you Tim." She got the same reaction out of him.
"Oh come on Tim, Athena may rule the world, but realizing who people are isn't her forte. I recognized you the moment you walked onto the training grounds."
Tim looked down at his feet, almost blushing at his former high school girlfriend and long time friend. "So are you gonna arrest me and execute me just like Crocker?" To his surprise, Veronica was looking at him with a warm smile.
"No, I plan on helping you defeat Athena. I'm sick of being her bitch-girl lackey."
This stunned Tim, but he decided that she was telling the truth. "So Veronica…there aren't any hard feelings for what happened in high school between us are there?"
Veronica just smiled again, "No Tim, I understood then and I still do today. You lost the one girl you loved with all of your heart. I realized that no one could ever take her place in your heart."
They gazed at each other and smiled. They walked for a few blocks in silence, and then Tim broke it, the question on his mind, and the obvious elephant in the room coming out. "Does Athena know who I am?"
Veronica's smile faded, "She's starting to figure it out I'm afraid. She is requesting the coroner's reports from your "death" in Austin after your father's funeral. You have to know it really took me for a loop seeing you in Dallas a few months ago."
Tim could only shrug at the bizarre nature it all. "I know, but some things you gotta do." They remained silent until they returned the palace.
"Stay safe Tim"
"I will Veronica, I promise.". The two parted, not going unnoticed by the ruler of the world.
What are those two up to? She mused, watching them both intently from the throne.
Veronica returned to the throne room and was confronted by Athena. However, this didn't come as a shock, seeing as Athena had been slowly losing her grip on sanity for months now.
"Did you enjoy your little walk with Mr. Neutron General?" was all that the Queen asked.
Not surprised one bit, Veronica told the truth, "Yes I did Highness. I wanted to get to know my best soldier better."
Athena looked at her with disdain in her eyes. "Right, so what did you learn?"
"He is originally from a small suburb of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and he lost his wife and children in a Resistance attack in Milwaukee several years ago. He wanted revenge and thought this was the best route." Veronica lied, knowing that she was more then likely not buying a word of it.
Athena knew it was all a crock of bullshit, but she let the charade continue. "That's good. Now back to the matter of Timothy Turner." She pushed a file folder in front of Veronica. "It seems that upon further D.N.A. testing, the remains found in his grave are NOT his. So I wonder General, where could Mr. Turner be?"
This is it, either I can somehow warn Tim in time, or he is doomed. "I'm not sure my Queen. I guess he faked his death."
Athena let a wicked smile cross her lips. "It seems he has. I wonder, if I ran a D.N.A. test on Neutron, what the real results would say."
Tim, unaware of the danger he was now in, called in to A.J. about his little walk with Veronica earlier that afternoon. "…and it seems that she wants to help us rather then destroy us."
Do you think she knows Athena's true identity?
"That's the thing, I honestly doubt she does A.J., or she would have told me."
Ok, well stay put and keep a low profile. We're formulating a plan of attack to end this once and for all.
"Contact me when you do. All I want is one shot at Athena, you guys can have all the foot soldiers and other forces you want."
You got it Tim, stay safe.
"I will A.J., Turner out."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his door burst open and several soldiers flooded his quarters. "Your coming with us Neutron!" one yelled at him as they arrested him. Tim, knowing better, didn't resist. They drug him down the hall to a medical room. They strapped him into a chair and stuck a needle in him, drawing a small amount of blood. Tim never resisted, knowing this was coming sooner or later.
Athena walked in shortly thereafter, followed by a sullen Veronica. Tim knew right away from the look on her face and the brimming tears in her eyes that she hadn't tipped off Athena to his identity.
"Well well, if it isn't our little interloper. Do you have anything to say for yourself Mr. Neutron…or should I say Mr. Turner?"
Tim just smiled, "Yeah, go fuck yourself bitch!"
Athena was in no mood for his attitude, so she slapped him hard. Tim just shook his head and spit out a tiny amount of blood before turning back to her and smiling a condescending grin.
"You like it rough huh? Normally that would be hot, but in your case it's just sick bitch."
Athena just glared at him, "Enjoy it while it lasts Timmy, because you'll be dead by morning!"
Did she just call me Timmy? No one has called me that since… Tim thought as they released the straps and drug him to a holding cell.
As they walked away, Veronica looked at Athena in shock. She hadn't heard anyone call him that name since his parents were still alive. "My Queen, did you just call him Timmy?"
"I did Veronica, do you have a problem with that?"
"No ma'am, it's just that no one has called him by that nickname since…" It was then it finally hit her. It had been as clear as the nose on her face. "…I don't believe it!"
Athena just turned to her second in command and grinned wickedly. "You're surprised, I can tell my friend."
"No shit I'm surprised! I should've seen it all along! The doll, the expression on your face when I told you that he went to the Turner residence, all of it pointed to it!"
"No matter General!" She yelled, "Get the firing squad ready, in the morning we shall have the grand execution of the Resistance's greatest agent…Timmy Turner!"
Tim sat in the holding cell, his watch taken and destroyed by the soldiers. He had no way to communicate to the outside. His thoughts though swam to what Athena had said earlier: Enjoy it while it lasts Timmy…While it lasts Timmy…Timmy. To himself he muttered "How in the hell would she have known my old nickname?" It wasn't clicking with him at all. "The last person to ever call me Timmy was…Tootie." He shook his head. "How absurd, Tootie died in San Diego. Anyway she would never turn out evil after everything Vicky had done to her." Tim just sat there and wondered what was to come.
It was announced on the radio that Tim had been captured and scheduled for execution. The leadership of the Resistance decided that as soon as they fired the first shot, they would attack. They gathered all the forces they could from surrounding states and covertly made their way to the palace. They took their positions as Tim was led into the courtyard the same way as Crocker had been.
Tim, tied to the same blood drenched post that Crocker had been tied to no 24 hours ago, noted that it seemed like thousands of Resistance forces were waiting and willing to attack. He figured that as soon as they fired the first shot that the attack would commence. Once again, a worldwide audience watched as the "Greatest of all Resistance agents" was led to the slaughter. Veronica stood there, along side of Athena.
"Once again, we gather to put down more Resistance scum!" Athena said into the camera with a broad smile on her face while pointing to the solemn form of Tim.
Veronica stepped forward and delivered the charges and sentence. "Timothy Thomas Turner, you are hereby charged with and found guilty of High Treason, Conspiracy to Commit Murder, and Conspiracy to Overthrow Queen Athena. You are hereby sentenced to be executed by the firing squad. Do you have any last words before you die?"
Tim looked at her and then into the camera. "Yeah, The Resistance will win in the end, with or without me. To you Athena, I hope you rot in hell!" With that, the blindfold was placed over his eyes, but like Crocker, he wanted to see it coming.
Veronica once again raised her sword. "Ready!" the squad raised their guns. "Aim!" the hammers clicked into place…
To Be Continued…
A/N: I do love a good cliffhanger! Stay tuned to see what happens next! Read and Review please. The disclaimer is in Chapter one if you care at all.