-1Author's note: Wow, required three reviews met already. And it's now in a C2 group. Wow. Yes, to one of the reviewers, Fanny would probably go through gender change (now there's an idea for a fanfic! --I'm joking, geez, lighten up) then betray the KND. But I was shooting for a character who I could some how have betray while managing to keep in character. For some odd reason, my mind kept coming back to Fanny.
Fanny Fulbright, age fourteen, lounged in her chair. Her eyes narrowed as Father came onto the stage. It was still her reaction every time she saw him. She tried to calm herself, noting that she was on his side now, but that didn't help in the least bit. She rapped her long, slender fingers on the table, softly drumming the tips of her Battle Ready Armor there.
The Crazy Old Cat Lady glared at her, shushing her. Fanny fought off the urge to make a rude hand gesture. She was still under suspicion, even after her help with defeating the moon base. Rachel got hurt in that, Fanny thought for a moment, suddenly taking an odd interest in the flickering flame of the single candle in the middle of the table. The room had been darkened.
"My fellow adults, and you teenagers," Father announced. The flame grew taller. "I am proud to announce to you an entirely new plan to destroy those stupid KND brats forever! You all remember Grandfather -"
"Please," Mr. Boss interjected from Fanny's side. He had been so proud of her the day that she'd chosen adults over kids, insisting that they always arrive to these meetings together, "tell me you're not using the exact same plan again! In case you don't remember, he turned us all into Senior Citizombies!"
"I know, I know," Father said, giving a simple shrug. The flame began to flicker. "But I've managed to put all our money into researching my pappy's genetic code. What made him able to do such things so easily. The power will be at our control now," he pulled a jar from under the table. It was filled with some sort of green phosphorous light. The flame began to lean towards the right. "With this, we'll turn all the kids of the world to Senior Citizombies, and force them to do chores for us! And eat all the broccoli!" Cheers went up from the crowd. Nearly every villain was on their feet, applauding.
The flame went out.
"You okay, Fanny-pants?" Mr. Boss asked, heading for the living room as she headed for the stairs.
"Yeah..I'm just fine, dad.." she said, giving a shrug and blowing him a good night kiss before running upstairs.
"Goodnight, my evil little child-stopper!" he called up to her. Fanny went into her room and slammed the door shut. She glanced about. Her room reflected just how much she had changed during this time, though her temper was the same as ever.
The bed was no longer pink, and the only rainbow monkey left, a "Better Days Will Come Soon" Rainbow monkey, was on her bed. Everything else was sterile. White. Ugly. She hated her room this way, but the rainbow monkeys reminded her too much of her childhood, of that awful thing she'd done.
It had been easy enough, though. But why that date? She glanced at the calendar. Today was the anniversary of her betrayal. It was also Hoagie's 14th birthday. She had searched the computer, originally looking for Nigel Uno's birthday, planning to make her treachery that day. But Hoagie's name had stood out on the monitor for some reason. And so, that's the date she had chosen.
She slumped back, hitting her head repeatedly against the pillow before giving into a deep rooted urge and screaming into it. Father had selected herself, Cree, Chad, and another teen operative as the ones to turn the Kids Next Door into Senior Citizombies. She grabbed her rainbow monkey and gave it a tight squeeze, wishing to go back to the way things had once been.
Yes, it had been awkward, what with her father working for the adults and her being with the KND, but he had always made sure not to attack her or her brothers. But, while she was no one's favorite operative, she had had respect in the Kids Next Door. For a while, it had been enough.
Wasn't until I broke my damn ankle…she thought bitterly, staring up at her plain white ceiling with disgust. That one moment had been enough. She had lost all sense of control, all sense of loyalty, and gone with the option that would give her more physical strength. It had been selfish, but Fanny was not stupid enough to ever have made the claim not to be.
Her BRAs were all laid out neatly on her dresser, and she glared at them. They were disguises, armor, weapons…everything someone could need for strength. And she hated them. Probably because they defined the very reason she had left the Kids Next Door.
But worse, she was now resigned to her fate. There was no going back now. No redemption for the wicked, she thought, stretching her hand out, reaching for something. Whatever it was that she hoped to reach in that moment, it was a year too far away.