The Training Room: Chapter 4

I.

The mission is over. Possible survived. Dr. Director is all smiles, the staff high fiveing each other in congratulation. I am the only one not celebrating. I know, from some of the raised brows and hidden smiles that many think it is jealousy. How do I tell them it is fear?

II.

"Ron, you of all people should know how Kim is about giant insects." Dr. Director said with a smile.

Stoppable rubbed the back of his neck, "Yeah, yeah, I know Dr. Director, but see, Kim needs me to be with her."

"Ron, Yatsby has turned these creatures vicious. If you don't go in and talk to them, stop them, we will have no choice but to use massive force. I'm sure you understand the possibility of collateral damage if that happens."

Stoppable looked torn, the agents in the command center hid their snickers out of the camera's range. "I know, Dr. Director, and I really would like to help, but if KP gets called on a mission..."

"You have my personal guarantee that any mission Kim goes on while you are away will be safe." Dr. Director said confidently.

"You mean like getting cats out of trees? I dunno, Dr. D., some of those kittens can be vicious. I had to..."

"Yes, like that, if necessary, we'll send stun gas up the tree, Ron." Dr. Director smiled.

My guts turned to water. Didn't she know what she had just done? She lied to him. Oh, God, she lied to him.

Stoppable's trademark goofy smile bloomed, "Well, as long as you say it's safe, Dr. D., I'll tell KP and your boys can pick me up at her house in, say, two hours?"

"That will be fine, Ronald, GJ out." Dr. Director blanked the screen. "Now, is the mission for Possible set?"

"We've held back, and only maintained surveillance, as you ordered." The Senior agent of the detail reported. "Drakken and Shego are still in their lair."

"Any idea what he's attempting this time? Another 'ray of doom' I suppose." Dr. Director smiled.

"No idea, all attempts at interior reconnaissance have failed."

"Well, he's an idiot. Start setting it up. Two days after Stoppable leaves, we contact Possible."

Somehow, without being confined, I have to convince her. Explain how she has condemned herself with her own words.

III.

I could not allow myself to be seen on the surveillance tapes. The delay caused me to arrive at Possible's home in time to hear Stoppable call from the GJ hovercraft ramp, "Be back in three days, KP, and I'll bring you a mole rat pinata."

Possible smiled and waved farewell. I left.

IV.

The technicians say the disrupted security films were caused by the heat of the explosion. I maintain my silence. They are, after all, the 'experts'. No one notices or cares to question the single frame that appears to be a giant sword shielding Possible from Shego's blast.

V.

"All right, Will, you can now say 'I told you so', but only a small one." Dr. Director's mood was jovial. "The plan fell through, but Kim finished the mission. No harm, no foul."

"Dr. Director, I request that I be allowed to speak to Agent Betty. In private."

Her mood soured, "Agent Du, you are beginning to..."

I was desperate, "In total privacy, Ma'am. If you please."

Her eye focused on me in disapproval. She sighed and reached into her desk. "All right, now,"

She sat a small device on her desk. "This little dingus, invented by and licensed to us by Dr. Load, guarantees that we have privacy from all electronic listening devices." She flipped a switch under her desk and solid blast guards covered the windows. "Even Superman couldn't see through those to read our lips, they are four inches of solid lead alloy." She glanced at her watch. "Now, in light of your past service, you have five minutes. Talk fast." She folded her hands.

"It was Stoppable." Betty grimaced, her mouth opening to deride me, "Wait, let me finish. There is no way I can prove it, but I know it. The one thing I haven't told anyone is that he left me a warning. He called it a lesson. He told me to tell you that if it happened again, you would become the student."

She rubbed her brow with one hand, "Will, why haven't you said anything before?"

"Because I knew the reaction would be just what you are doing now. Dismissal of any idea that Stoppable beat me."

"You were in a lot of pain. Are you sure you weren't hallucinating."

"Ma'am, I know what he said."

"Tell me exactly what he said then."

"His exact words were 'If it happens again, tell Betty she becomes the student'."

"All right, Will, say I believe you, say Stoppable is everything you think. This is still not the same. Possible completed the mission."

"Two points, Ma'am. Number one, you lied..."

"I may have mislead Stoppable, but I don't believe I..."

"Call it what you will, he will consider it a lie. Two, Possible may have completed the mission, but she did not come through it unscathed."

"Minor cuts and bruises."

"She bled. That's all he'll see."

"She'll be out of action for a couple of weeks at the most. As Possible would say, 'so not the drama'."

I was growing desperate, I could see the disbelief in her eye. "Betty, how did she do it?"

"What?"

"How did she complete the mission?"

"I'm not really sure. The tapes show her down, with Shego firing a massive blast at her, then they blank, then we have the final shots of her standing over an unconscious Drakken and Shego. The best theory we can come up with is that she reacted automatically."

"She took out Shego, her worst enemy, while semi conscious?"

"You have a better idea?"

I could tell her patience was almost gone. "Yes, Stoppable did something."

"Right." Her derision was gentle, but present, "From the middle of Brazil, Stoppable somehow saved his girlfriend. Oh, I forgot, she was in Canada. Well, that's just a short jump for Superman isn't it?"

"Then tell me how she stopped that blast. Shego was still attached to Drakken's power amplification machine."

"Will, this is Drakken we're talking about. That would even explain how Possible was able to capture them. His machine malfunctioned, and the blow back knocked him and his accomplice out. Possible just restrained them while they were out cold."

"The machine functioned..."

"Will," She grimaced, "Agent Du," the private conference was over, "you are not going to believe me no matter what arguments I come up with. I want you to report to medical, for a thorough examination."

"Dr. Director, I..."

"Now, Agent Du. Dismissed." She raised the blast shields and lowered her eye to the paper work on her desk. As I left I heard her tell my back, softly,"It'll be all right, Willy, it will be all right."

V.

I entered my room exhausted. That idiot psych team. 'Did I resent my parents for dying?' How would I know, I barely remembered them. My exhaustion disappeared in an adrenaline surge, along with the message in blue flame on my mirror. "Let the lesson begin."