All standard disclaimers about my non-ownership of this apply. As do apologies for the length of time between updates.
A long overdue thankyou for the pile of reviews I received for the last chapter. All the comments were excellent. Please send more.
Chapter 9: Killing Two Birds with One Stone
"Oh God... Shego, I... I'm... Oh my God..." Kim stammered, covering her mouth with both palms, staring at the table for a second before trying to meet the villainess's eyes. When she found Shego's emerald gaze, however, the other woman turned away, allowing a thick lock of her raven hair to fall and cover the profile of her features. Then, before the grimly re-educated heroine could try to assert herself more strongly, Dr Director grabbed back onto the wildly spinning steering wheel of the conversation.
"Mr Du, agents, Team Possible, hallway, now." Betty bit out stiffly, her jaw taunt with much carefully diverted rage. Will and the two guards immediately spun and trooped out of the door, knowing just how livid their employer had to be to actually display her anger. To all three, and to Will in particular, hesitation might as well be suicide.
Kim did not immediately rise, torn between obeying what was clearly an order from the woman who would likely be her boss one day, and making amends for actions, her actions, that now sickened her. In the end it was up to Ron to gently lead his disquieted girlfriend into the hall. Betty was the last person to exit, shutting the door behind her securely. Once in the hall, she turned, finding Du instantly, and advanced on him like a lion on a cornered antelope.
"Would you mind explaining to me, Mr Du, why I am finding out about the death of an alpha-classification criminal second hand from VNN!? In the middle of an interrogation with his partner, no less?! Answer well, and answer fast, because I am this close to throwing you into the cell meant for Shego!"
"It's... it's all in my shift report, commander." Will stammered, "It should be on your desk tomorrow."
"TOMORROW?!" the director fumed. "Agent, what part of alpha-classification don't you understand?! It is right in the training manual; any major development involving an alpha is to be immediately communicated verbally to me." Betty stopped, grabbing hold of her brow and squeezing her eyes shut. This was exactly why she didn't trust the running of Global Justice to anyone else, even at subordinate levels someone always managed to take a sledgehammer to its delicate clockwork.
After a second, having calmed down a little, she continued. "Personally Will, I would say that 'death' is a fairly major incident, wouldn't you? Of anyone under my purview, I would have expected you could follow by-the-book procedure like that."
Will took in a breath to respond, but decided to stifle it. Unfortunately for the dark haired man, Betty wouldn't have it.
"You have something to add?" It wasn't a question; it was an order to say what he had been thinking. Gulping down the bile-flavoured regret that he tasted in his mouth, Will complied.
"It's just Dr. Drakken, ma'am... it's not as if he merits that high a rating anymore..."
"That's not your call to make, Du." Betty hissed, "The recent decline of Lipski's abilities notwithstanding, his activities in the past have more than earned that threat-ranking. And in the end, that is immaterial. This organization depends on the fluid and accurate transfer of information; any omission, intentional or otherwise, overtly important or otherwise, can lead to hundreds, even thousands, of casualties. I won't allow Global Justice to fail the world because of a breakdown of communications, and if I can't depend on you to keep your personal assessments and prejudices secondary, I can't depend on you at all."
Will's shoulder's sagged as Dr Director turned to one of the other agents in the hall. "Jackson, escort Will Du to my office. And make sure he stays there."
After the guard had led Will away, Betty trained her attention on Kim and Ron, who had seated themselves on the floor across the hall from room 117.
"I'm sorry you had to see that, Team Possible. Agent Du's poor judgment has... changed this situation entirely."
"You can say that again..." Kim murmured morosely. "I... can't believe what I said to her... 'It's about time.' Not even Bonnie would say something that cold... What is the matter with me?"
"You were following your instincts, Kimberly. If I had been told a story like that, something that sounded so convenient and in acquiescing to it could put me so at risk, I wouldn't have believed it either. And while I can't say that you handled the situation in the best way, you mustn't doubt those instincts. They are the most important tools you have. "
Kim seemed to take this in for a moment, before standing and meeting the older woman eye to eye.
"I... I need to talk to Shego again."
"Not now." Dr Director said, shaking her head and placing her hand on Kim's shoulder. "I still have to finish interviewing her, and I think it would be best if I handled the remainder it. I will make sure you will have the opportunity to make amends later, alright?"
Again, Kim took a moment to consider what had been said, before nodding.
"Stiles, please take Miss Possible and Mr Stoppable to the command center conference room. Get someone to retrieve their clothing and something to eat as well, I'll be along after I finish here."
As Agent Stiles began ushering the two teens down the corridor opposite the way Du had been led, Ron turned back.
"Dr Director..." he began unsurely.
"Yes, Ronald, what is it?"
"I know this is your job, and you know what to do and how to do it, but please... Shego... Shego is a good person. She's made some bad choices, but this has probably been the hardest night of her life tonight. Don't... don't make it any worse for her than it has to be."
Betty smiled slightly at the blonde.
"Don't worry, Mr Stoppable. I only have to discuss what will happen now with Shego. I don't intend to try to aggravate any wounds."
(o) (O) (o)
Shego, who hadn't moved since the Global Justice entourage left, looked up as the door opened to reveal the returning Dr Director. Without saying a word, the other woman walked up to her, withdrew a key card and swiped it over the cuffs on the villainess's hands. With a click, the bindings released. As the brunette removed the devices from her hands, Shego spoke.
"What's this for?"
"Simply put, Miss Go, you decided to trust the side of good, and we mishandle that trust. This is my attempt at beginning to rectify that."
"You're just... letting me go?" Shego asked, sure she was losing it. Betty confirmed that she was.
"No, I'm not quite that generous."
With that, Dr. Director pulled a chair up and sat across from Shego again. She interlaced her hands together and rested them on the table between them, and looked the green villainess in the eye for long moment. Shego returned the stare for a while, but after Betty did not speak for about a minute, she began to shift uncomfortably.
Global Justice might have been inept at times, enough to have rarely deterred her and her comrades from living their lives out in the criminal way they did, but the Director herself was another matter. From how the Director carried herself, and how her eyes bored into her now, Shego was reminded that she was not a person to be taken lightly, despite the failings of some of her underlings. Though it would never be admitted openly, Betty intimidated Shego somewhat, and that was a feat, especially since she had yet to speak a threatening word.
"How many times have you escaped from one of our holding facilities, Shego?" The brunette asked finally.
"What?" Shego replied, startled the sudden appearance of her roommates voice.
"It's not a trick question, Ms Go. How many times do you think you have escaped a Global Justice penitentiary?"
The younger woman considered this for a moment before answering.
"More times than I can count." She answered eventually, shrugging slightly to show she wasn't simply being smart.
"The exact number is 37, dating back to before you became a criminal. On average, you spend less than 4 days in custody, and hold the all-time break-out record at a grand total of 24 minutes incarceration. The longest we have kept you confined is 3 months, 1 and a half of which you were kept under heavy sedation."
"What can I say? I don't like how the jumpsuits clash with my complexion." Shego retorted, smiling slightly. She knew about her record, and was actually quite proud of it.
"Indeed." Betty said dryly. "Out of curiosity, how much do you think your getaway streak has cost, both in repairs and the man-hours I've diverted to hunting you down?"
"I don't know... hopefully more than you're paying Du."
"Significantly more. How does 11.5 million sound? A year."
Shego was barely able to keep her jaw from dropping at the figure. Unfortunately, it seemed something still showed on her face. Betty grinned slightly at her surprise, as she continued.
"In fact, cost of your apprehension, detention, and subsequent evasion factors into our budget. I'm sure you'll be amused to know that 0.12 percent of GJ's yearly overhead is referred to as the 'Shego Portfolio."
"Not that this isn't fascinating and all, but do you think we could skip it?" Shego said impatiently. "Or are you trying to make sure I don't shave a few minutes off my best time?"
After two conflicts with Possible, the redheads attempted apology notwithstanding, she was back into a fighting mood again, and the fact that the brunette already had the answers to the questions she was asking was rubbing her the wrong way. Betty didn't seem to notice Shego's riposte, however, and continued on.
"It seems you've made an impression on Mr Stoppable."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Just a casual observation." Dr Director said smoothly. "We at Global Justice have monitored Team Possible for several years now, and I assure you, as staunch an element of good Ronald is, he can be swayed into forgiving any transgression against him, even by someone who is completely undeserving of it. Even people who have antagonized someone as close to him as Kim. And as Agent Du has now confirmed that your story checks out, I imaging that the trust he has already extended to you might increase substantially."
"And I care... why?" Shego replied, suddenly finding it very hard to find her normal aloof-sounding timbre. She was well aware of the answer to her own question, and Betty's prying instantly became more threatening.
"Oh, I'm certain you don't. Again, I just thought you might find this entertaining. As much as I like Mr Stoppable, sometimes I can't help but agree with Will. Amateurs truly can be mind-bogglingly stupid."
"Ron is NOT stupid." Shego snapped back, before she could even think about what she had said. Betty didn't skip a beat though.
"Come now Shego. No one has pointed that out on more occasions than you. You've always been able to recall Ron's actual name, yet you never hesitated to refer to him as 'the Buffoon.'"
"I..." The green woman began. She now had time to control what she was going to say and she began to chamber another cold reply, but the same feelings that made her jump to Ron's defence just a second ago would not allow her to downplay her past errors.
"That was a mistake."
"Beg pardon?"
"I was wrong about him, alright?" Shego growled.
Damn him, she thought. Again, Stoppable was making her do something she'd never have done otherwise, admit she had been wrong. Somewhere, Reticence was celebrating a huge moment of emotional growth for Shego, but most of the woman hated that this weakness had appeared, just as Desire had promised. But, the green villainess hadn't changed enough yet to realise that retreat was sometimes a viable option, and pressed on. "And so are you. He's more intelligent and kind-hearted than any kid has any right to be."
Dr Director set silent again for a few moments, the deep, penetrating stare having returned. Then, when she started talking again, all the steel fell from her voice, and was replaced by a much lighter tone. "It's interesting how wise compassion becomes when you are in need of it, isn't it Ms Go? Ron has a truly profound gift, being able to genuinely feel that for anyone, to be willing to absolve sins without question rather than avenge them, even after the world has been as unforgiving to him as it sometimes has. You should count yourself lucky to know him, even in the circumstances you do."
"What's the point of these questions?" Shego snarled. She was being psycho-analysed again, but this time she didn't appreciate it in the least.
"I just wanted to test a theory. As I had hoped, it looks like Ron has made something of an impression on you as well."
"You mean this was all just a litmus?"
"Don't act so shocked, Shego. You've been in your far share of interrogations, you should know half the time it's not the answers that matter, it's how the prisoner reacts to the questions."
"I take it, that since you've decided you don't need the cover anymore, you have what you want?"
"Correct, Ms Go."
"And it's back to the cell with me then?"
"No, not this time Shego. We just went over your confinement record. If history is any indication, we won't hold you any longer than we have before, even with Dr Macintyre's new innovations. And I am tired of going to sleep with you behind bars one night and waking up to find out you're on the loose again. So, it's time to try something new."
(o) (O) (o)
Being back in her own clothing and having a little bit to eat, along with the always comforting sensation of being held in the arms of her ever-present blonde source of strength did a lot to steady Kim's nerves. But, she was far from free of the worries this night had conjured. Even with the comatose soldier waking, and with his recovery so much of what had doused her usually unflagging optimism receding, Drakken's now confirmed death, and Shego's unexpected... human frailty and pain marshalled in new doubt and sorrow to take its place. More than anything, the callousness, the raw heartlessness of what she had said to Shego made her ask questions of herself she had never thought would be conceivable.
Dr Director's words about instinct sounded good, but in her heart, Kim knew that it wasn't simply a gut feeling that had told her Shego had been lying. In fact, it wasn't that at all. It had been anger. She had wanted to avenge herself on Shego, take the hurt and the doubt she had felt about herself after almost letting someone die, and release all that dark energy on the villainess. Damning the consequences, she had wanted Shego to feel what she had felt, and all the while Shego had been feeling something far worse. It wasn't that she had missed the sincerity of the villainess's anguish, but that she didn't allow herself to see it.
Where had her compassion been? Was it so easy for her to lose what in the end really divided the good from the bad? It was supposed to be unshakable, it was supposed to be indestructible, it was supposed to be woven into her very being.
Ron, with the truly deep perceptiveness that he had, and that she so often forgot, sensed her discord and tightened the embrace of his arms around her, stifling her angst for a few glorious seconds. And in those seconds she was able to think clearly for the first time in several hours.
There was nothing that could be done about Drakken. They said she was the girl that could do anything, and she even believed it sometimes, but death was something beyond silly catch phrases. What she could do, what she needed and wanted to do, was avail herself to Shego for forgiveness, and to help her. She just hoped Shego would be willing to take it.
What appeared to be the first chance for her to start this endeavour came almost as soon as she had decided upon perusing it, with Dr Director leading an unbound Shego into the room from the far corner. Kim jumped from her perch in Ron's lap immediately, and with her boyfriend following close behind, jogged to meet the two women at the half-way point of the room.
The director looked a great deal recovered from her bout with Will Du, her gait calm and her features light once again. Shego, on the other hand, looked like she was about to throw up.
"I've completed Shego's questioning," Betty said once the two teens reached her. "However, there is one other matter that needs to be addressed."
Taking this as her nod to say what she had to say, Kim swallowed and spoke.
"Shego, I know there's nothing I can say to take back what I said last night... it was ferociously cruel and unforgivable, but I want you to know I'm sorry, and I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you."
Shego closed her eyes tightly, like it had stung to hear those words. Kim had expected scoffing, some sarcastic reply maybe, but this reaction puzzled her. She began to step toward the villainess, but before she could Shego took a step back and re-opened her eyes.
"Save it, Kimmie. Unless you really mean that, you aren't going to like what about to go down."
Confused, Kim looked back at the brunette who was now at her side.
"I'm coming home with you." Shego said, answering the unspoken question. Kim's eyebrows arched skyward at this statement.
"She is referring to the assignment I am about to request both yours and Ronald's services in performing." Betty clarified without further prompting. "I would like Team Possible to take direct custody of Shego. Kim, I'm sure like no one else you are aware of just how prolific Shego is at escaping from our detention centers. She is so proficient at it that Global Justice has exhausted all conventional legal means of keeping her confined, save one. What I'm asking of you is voluntary, but please consider it seriously, because I do not do this lightly."
Kim was still at a loss for words, something that had happened on far too many occasions that might, so once again Ron took a more active role.
"How would that go?" The blonde asked,
"It would be similar to how house arrest is conducted. Shego would be confined to Middleton under surveillance, and required to wear a plasma-proofed monitoring band at all times. During the day you would be free to conduct you daily activities as you normally would, but at pre-determined times she would have to report in to either Kim or yourself, and would have to stay at one of your residences for the night-time hours."
"So basically it's a gentlewoman's agreement for her not to bolt?"
"Not quite, but close. Global Justice has frozen any of Shego's assets that we know of, and will actively continue doing so as more are uncovered. Considering the fact that she came to be in your custody of her own accord tonight, and in most cases Team Possible is responsible for bringing her in anyway, there are few people I would say are better suited for this role. However, should she violate this agreement I will have no choice but to make use of that last legal apparatus and transfer her to Guantanamo Bay prison, where she can be held using different methods than those that are permissible in the United States." The brunette took a heavy breath. "The rights and freedoms that we in the free world have, even those regarding the treatment of prisoners, are what I have dedicated my life to protecting, and Camp Delta flies in the face of a great deal of those freedoms. I truly do not wish to send any of the criminals that I have jurisdiction over to such a place, but I can no longer turn a blind eye to all the escapes, and subsequent actions that certainly can be defined as acts of terror, that Shego has carried out."
Kim watched as Ron gulped worriedly, and glanced at Shego to try and gauge her. She looked extremely uncomfortable to say the least, obviously not thrilled in the least at this turn of events.
Well, you got exactly what you asked for, Kim, the red head thought to herself. If you want to look at yourself in the mirror tomorrow and be able to say you actually tried to live up to your word, this isn't even a choice.
"What do you think, KP?" Ron asked. Kim took one last glance at Shego, then looked to her boyfriend. She saw the commitment in his eyes, and the worry. This only confirmed what she had to do. She couldn't condemn Shego, when she had a chance to offer her salvation. She turned to the older woman.
"You can count on us, Dr Director."
(o) (O) (o)
William Du had never been sent to 'the office.' Not in the way he had just been, anyway. Throughout his entire life, from primary school all the way into the Air Force Academy, he had kept his nose clean, stayed on the top of his class, been amongst all his professor's favourite pupils. The only times he'd ever had to go to the Office of the Dean, or the Commandant, was to receive some sort of commendation, or his acceptance into Global Justice. Never for a punishment.
He could still remember the excitement he had felt when he found out GJ had contacted his superiors inquiring about his plans for the future. From that point on he had redoubled his efforts, spurred on by the chance to work for the world's foremost international police and security force. It was a dream come true when he received his commission. He could serve the world, and he had no doubt he would be in the upper echelons of its administration in only a few years.
Fast forward to now. He spent most of his day hours staring at a display screen, sifting through data regarding the mostly mundane activities of criminals that were hardly worth the title of villains, let alone super-villains. He wasn't sure over which hole of golf he watched Killigan go double bogie on or hour of Camille Leon's dressing and redressing herself that he realised he had lost his interest for the job he did. But he was sure when he lost his respect for it, and that was when he was first ordered to baby-sit Possible and her boyfriend. Here he was, having spent 20 years preparing for what had turned out to be a job with minimal fieldwork and multitudes of boredom, diligently turning in meticulous reports on things as pathetic as what fabric softener Dementor used on his delicates, but somehow keeping the world in balance. Then, two kids start up a freelance crime-fighting team, and receive world accolades for it. No mention of that what they did was essentially conduct international vigilante mayhem, no. That was all glossed over by the fact that it was a cute cheerleader doing it. Under no restrictions, answering to no one, immune to any of the pages of foreign affairs legalities. No rules of engagement. And here he was, about to be punished, not for defying protocol, but failing to use the proper medium for following it.
And of course, he'd bite his lip and suffer through it. He knew he'd screwed up, and he'd take responsibility. But it was downright infuriating to see others congratulated for ignoring rules, while he had to follow them to the T.
With a beep, the office door unlocked and the director walked in carrying the files she had brought to the interrogation.
"That will be all, Jackson. Thank you." She said, dismissing the junior agent as she sat at her desk. After filing the folders and placing her PDA in its dock, she leaned back into her chair and rubbed her cheeks with both palms.
"I hope you realise the gravity of your actions tonight, Will. By now, whatever physical evidence we could have used to corroborate or contradict the reports of Dr Drakken's passing will have been significantly diluted, and any trail left behind is cold. If this is a trick, he could be anywhere in the world by now."
"So you think that Shego was lying after all?" Du asked.
"No, I believe that she truly thinks Drakken is dead. She was the one who set the charges in his lab; he had no knowledge of it."
"With respect to Lipski's past ma'am, do you really think that is a significant possibility? For him to orchestrate a fake death, on the fly no less, so well that even his partner would believe it?"
"That's exactly why we needed to be on-site immediately after the fact, Will. Now all we have to depend on for the facts is the steady-cam footage and the testimony of someone who was conducting a search and rescue operation, not a forensic analysis. I'm not saying that Dr Drakken is still alive... but we have lost any chance at finding hard proof either way." Betty sighed. She really wished she didn't have to do this part. "That is why I'm taking you off of surveillance duty and placing you under review."
"How long?" Will asked, though he already knew the answer. He did, after all, know the protocols, no matter his mistake that night.
"Four months, with diminished pay. I'm afraid you will also lose your position as a field commander for that period as well." Betty answered evenly, as she turned in her chair. She retrieved a thick, well worn book that was labelled 'History of the 20th Century,' and passed it across her desk to the dejected agent.
"Whenever I have doubts about how dangerous some of the criminals we pursue are, I flip through this. I've marked and made notations about all the historical events that these men and women have effected behind the scenes, the things that couldn't be put into print for the good of public peace of mind. Since you will have more free time than normal, I suggest you familiarize yourself with just what Drew Lipski has done in his lifetime. His data in blue. Start looking for it in the chapters regarding the fall of the Soviet Union."
Du nodded silently as he accepted the tome, and stood to leave. When he opened the door, he nearly ran into Captain Mason, who was preparing to knock.
"Is this a bad time, director?" He asked as Du shuffled past and cut down the hall outside.
"No, no Arnold. Come in." Betty replied, letting out a long, cleansing sigh as she unclasped the neck-piece of her uniform and ran her hand through her hair. It struck her that she had unwittingly begun to relax around the captain, despite the still professional conditions, though she supposed it might have been a result of what had been happening in the past few hours. It had been as bad a night as she had had in some time. And a lot more lay ahead. There was a veritable bevy of problems that putting Du on restricted duty entailed, not the least of which was finding a new agent to direct units on the ground. Even considering his pigheadedness, he was a valuable person with a great deal of hard to replace skills. The gamble she was taking with Shego and Ron was another worrisome prospect that she was sure she was going to lose sleep over. So far, however, Arnold had managed to buck the trend and had been the bearer of, if not exactly good, less rattling news. She keyed her intercom and asked the mess hall to have two cups of coffee brought up before she spoke to the captain again.
"What do you have from William Doe?"
"Not much, I'm afraid. In terms of short term memory and functionality, his mind is fine; language and motor skills are at expected levels for someone of his apparent age, he is aware of his surroundings and is able to communicate and complete simple problem solving exercises without much effort. But in the long term, he is almost completely amnesic. On his own he doesn't remember exactly who he is or where he's from or what he was doing before he appeared here."
"So he can't tell us anything about his technology, or what attacked him?"
"That's the bad news."
"There's good news?"
"The memories are still there."
"But I thought you said..."
"I said on his own, he isn't able to recall any specific details about his life. However, he does on some subconscious level remember things, and comprehends that he isn't where he's supposed to be. For example, when the doctors performed a CT scan, off-hand he referred to the MRI machine as an antique. And when they suggested several examples of what his name might be, he was able confirm that it was William."
"What does that mean? It's a psychological condition?"
"Precisely. It's not brain damage that is causing his amnesia, it's some form of self-synthesised mental barrier, most likely erected to prevent the traumatic experiences he survived from being recalled. There's a whole pile of psychiatric gobble-de-gook in the file, but the important thing is the memories are still there in his head, we just have to coax them out."
"How long will it take?" the director asked. Mason hesitated for a second, considering how to best answer that most important of questions.
"Amnesic recollection isn't an exact science, Dr Director. It could happen spontaneously, or it could take years. It might not happen at all. All we can do is expose him to memory cues, physical objects or the fragments of what we do know about him, and hope that it will trigger a chain reaction that breaks down the barricade."
"So, in essence we are back to square one."
"Not really. We can find out plenty just from his peripheral activities. Like what happened with the MRI. Right there is something we couldn't accomplish with him in a coma."
Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of another agent with the coffee Betty had requested. They both took their mugs and nursed a few drinks as the agent left.
"Did you find anything out about Mr Stoppable's light-show?" Arnold asked after the pause. Betty took another drawn out sip of her beverage before answering.
"I have set something in motion that has a reasonable chance of gathering us more information about it, yes."
"Set something in motion?" Mason repeated with a grimace. "Respectfully director, I don't like how CIA that sentence sounds. Why not simply ask about what it was? He is on our side, after all."
"I don't think asking would do any good. I mentioned the flash to Miss Possible, and she had no idea what I was talking about. If Ron hasn't told Kim about what it was that he did, there is virtually no chance he would tell me. It's also entirely possible that he himself has no idea what happened."
"Then what did you do?"
"I've... put Ronald and Kimberly in charge of Shego's internment. It is my hope that with the three together in close quarters for an extended period of time will encourage a recurrence of that phenomena, by accident or otherwise."
"That sounds awful risky to me, Betty." Arnold mused, putting his mug down. "I mean, if this is out of his control wouldn't it be safer to let it flesh itself out on its own, rather that trying to reproduce what we have observed to be a very dangerous reaction by just throwing three unstable elements into the mix together?"
"I'm not sure this is any more risky than trying to bring back memories of near dismemberment and complete and utter fear, captain."
"That's different, it's being done under controlled circumstances with an entire hospital of doctors ready should something go wrong."
"And it would be better to let Stoppable continue walking around with what amounts to a bomb strapped to his chest? You heard what he did to the Possible's kitchen; at least this way we have some control over the stresses and pressures being applied to him. And with his involvement in ensuring Shego's confinement we have the justification for having more monitoring equipment around him, as well as more frequent checkups by our agents without raising suspicions if he is hiding something."
"I don't know, ma'am. It still sounds like striking a match in a power-keg to me."
Betty nodded, before picking up her PDA again and activating it. A solution had just presented itself. "Well, if your concerns are so strong, there is something you can do. Tell me Arnold, would you be interested in taking on a temporary field assignment?"
(o) (O) (o)
Ed woke to the sun rising in the windshield of his Duster, the cool morning air fighting with the warmth the rays of light provided. After about 15 minutes of trying to battle his way back into dreamland, where a garage of fix 'er up cars of every make and model always waited, Ed swept his old blanket onto the floor and sat up. It took a moment for him to gather up what had happened the night before from the foggy recesses of his memory, but once he did he realised that Drakken was absent. Crawling his way franticly over the front seat, Ed found a note taped to the steering wheel. A shiver that had nothing to do with the coldness of the morning traveled through his body as he read it.
Don't look for me Ed, by the time you read this, I'll be long gone.
Thank you again for your insight last night. It brought about an invigorating change of perspective and has revitalized me in more ways than you can imagine. Over the next few months I will set about rebuilding my old empire, and when it is complete, you will have a place of comfort and power within it. All I ask is you restrain your own attempts on the existing world order.
Enjoy the ride,
Dr Drakken
P.S. It would be best, at least for the time being, that I remained dead to the rest of the world. Destroy this message and any evidence I was ever with you last night. I trust that you will keep this information to yourself, and you would do well not to betray that. Soon enough those who have will understand just how bad a choice that is.
So ends Act I. Wow... 9 chapters of exposition... that might be a record.