Disclaimer: Don't own anyone, just doing different takes on once-or-twice-seen characters.
Elena Renton was faced with a conundrum; she had precious little time to explain to Felix the situation, but behind the wheel of the car was Kim Possible. She had hoped she wouldn't have to face her son's friends about a certain incident involving a reverse polarizer and one of the teen heroine's arch enemies. Jeezus, she was out of touch.
"So, are you going to explain why you were running away from the prison? It didn't look like you were let out on good behavior." Felix said dryly, "Maybe you killed a guard, you don't have murder on your record yet…unless they just haven't convicted you."
"Felix Nicolaus Renton, it doesn't matter that I've been a criminal for the majority of my life, I am your mother and you will respect me," she hissed, verging on slipping into her accent. Felix glared at the rearview mirror, then just slumped into his seat and grumbled incoherently.
Kim, wisely, remained silent, driving them back to her house.
A rush of shame washed over her as they walked inside and her colleague (probably former by now) stared in horror at her in handcuffs and a prison jumpsuit. Her face flushed and she refused to meet his eyes, following Kim and Felix into the living room.
"May I have a paper clip, or a needle? Or, if we really want to be old-fashioned, a bobby pin?" She asked, taking a seat on the couch. Kim opened her mouth to object, but Felix rummaged through a storage compartment in his wheelchair, finding a safety pin and handing it to her. She took it between her lips, turning her head and dropping it into her waiting hand, "I was hoping this wouldn't come up, not until you were out of the house."
"Mom, it's not like I found your spring break pictures from Tijuana. Your record says you're a terrorist." Elena wrinkled her nose.
"Terrorist? Really? I suppose "super-villain" was too cartoonish a label." Felix and Kim stared at her, and she sighed, "Yes, Felix, I'm one of those costumed freaks your friends have to chase after, James Bond romanticism and such. I was one of the handful that trailblazed the way into the industry for women; before us it was a gentleman's club. They called me a feminist, but it wasn't like I was out there making a grand statement about gender. I was just having fun."
She paused, gauging Felix's response. He seemed as though he was barely holding himself together, half grieving and half furious. For a speech eighteen years in the making, it sure was rough around the edges. She took a deep breath.
"When I found that I was pregnant with you, I decided that villainy was no life for a child to grow up in. I struck a deal with the head of Global Justice, Betty Director; I would play nice as long as I could raise you in a normal suburban home."
The handcuffs fell from her wrists and she rubbed at them, glad for the fresh air on the skin. Felix shook his head.
"This doesn't make any sense. Why would she agree to that? And how normal would my life be, moving around all the time…" he paused, staring at her, "Why did we move around so much?"
Electronique sighed.
"I didn't stick to the agreement as firmly as I should have," she admitted, "Old habits die hard. I dabbled; nothing too grandiose but enough to make myself a few enemies."
"…the business trips…" Felix realized with horror. Elena nodded, her voice softening.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't stop myself from scratching the itch." She glanced towards the window, "I never wanted you to get caught in the middle of all this… It was inevitable, though, no matter what precautions I took. What's happening now…it was bound to occur sooner or later." Felix furrowed his eyebrows.
"What are you talking about? Me learning that you're some kind of evil scientist?"
"Besides that," she murmured, drumming her fingertips on her knee, "There was another reason Betty had us move around so much… The fact I blackmailed her with when I originally went to her for help." The corner of her mouth turned up in some semblance of a smirk, "I was glad you never asked, but now you have to know this. Your father…he's a WEE agent." Felix stared at her uncomprehendingly.
"A what?"
"The Worldwide Evil Empire, Global Justice's enemy," Kim murmured. Elena nodded.
"The last thing Betty needed was you, Felix." She curled her hand into a fist, "She couldn't have your father finding out about you; he didn't need any more reasons to clock in and work hard. But this will backfire… He'll be furious that she hid us from him. The secrecy was necessary for your well-being, though; I wasn't sure if he'd honor my desire for your evil-free childhood. But back to your original question," she closed her eyes, "The unedited truth of it is the man I met as Agent Beta, your father, has found us. He sent his agents to catch me, and that's why I had to flee the prison. Now it's only a matter of who will find me here first, GJ or WEE."
"Why does someone have to find you?" Felix asked, a quiet challenge in his tone as he rolled closer, "We can get out of here, we've got time." Electronique snorted.
"These are two of the largest, most well-equipped organizations on the planet. We're clever, but not that clever," Elena glanced at Kim, "I know I have no right to ask for a favor but please…look after Felix."
Kim straightened, looking surprised as she was suddenly addressed. She nodded.
"Yeah, of course."
Elena got to her feet and reached out towards Felix. Her hand gently brushed his cheek, smiling softly as her eyes started to water. A feeling of dread settled into the pit of his stomach.
"I love you, Felix. I always have, since the moment I first knew about you, and I always will, no matter what. I am so proud of the man you have become," her voice cracked, "Nothing will ever change these facts, these truths amidst all the deceit." Her thumb caressed his cheekbone as she cleared her throat, "In my closet, there's a suit. I don't expect it to fit you, but if you can manage to tinker with it…it has thousands of volts shooting along its skin and claws that can slice through almost any metal. If you need it, it's there."
"Where are you going?" He asked. She smirked half-heartedly.
"Away, buy you some time. I'm still holding on to the hope you're not a target," she shrugged one shoulder, "Your time to be impartial might be running out, sadly."
Felix frowned, a far more pressing issue on his mind.
"Will he hurt you?" Elena shook her head.
"Not badly, and not nearly as much as Betty will after all of this," she assured him playfully.
Elena nodded at Kim, before walking out of the living room and out of the Possible household.
Kim turned to look at Felix, trying to read him. He looked pained, but pained about what? About his mother leaving him? About the fact that she had lied to him his entire life and now the lie had exploded into this mess? Felix composed himself, clearing his throat before looking at Kim.
"So…you ever fought my mom before?" He asked. She laughed nervously.
"I dunno; she didn't say who she was. Must be a pretty good costume."
"Um, KP?" Ron suddenly strolled into the living room, looking confused. He jerked his thumb towards the front of the house, "Why is Felix's mom driving your car? In a prison uniform?"
Electronique allowed herself the rare luxury of guilt as she backed out of the driveway in Kim's car, nearly hitting Ron in the process. Her fingers drummed restlessly on the steering wheel, her left foot bobbing in time to her pounding heart. The thrill of it all was intoxicating, but there was the nagging sensation that she shouldn't be excited about this. Felix's life had just been turned on its head, and now she was abandoning him. But it was the old game that she had played so many times, a taste of the life she missed so much. The attention was flattering.
She was careful not to speed around Middleton; God knew she didn't need to be pulled over while she was still wearing her prison jumpsuit. Her eyes flicked around, scanning for men in latex suits, or anyone with a patch over one eye. Perhaps they were too occupied with the prison… It was too smooth of an escape from town.
The trouble came once she was on the highway. Searchlights fell across the car and she heard the whirr of a low-flying helicopter. She growled some obscenities, trying to recognize it. This distracted her until it was too late to turn around, and she was stuck facing a road block. There were few cars caught by this obstacle, and she didn't have enough time to slip off the prison uniform. She assessed who had set up the block; if she was lucky they'd be ordinary police officers.
Those were GJ agents. Shit. That left her with only one unsavory option. She put her car in park, clicked off her seatbelt, and slipped out of the vehicle. She kept close to the car and low to the ground, but the helicopter's searchlight caught the orange and made her impossible to sneak away unnoticed.
"You there! Stop!" The yell made her spring like a trap, sprinting for the cover of nearby woods.
Her eyes adjusted quickly to the lack of light, keeping a steady pace as she dodged the underbrush and dove deeper into the forest. She saw brief glimpses of light, flashlights and floodlights from above, and steered clear of their paths. The bay of bloodhounds made her chortle under her breath; now she really felt like she was in a foxhunt. They were coming from both her left and right now, honing in on her. She wished she was just a little quieter, but right now speed was more important.
She didn't see the plan until it was over. She was suddenly out in the open, skidding to a stop in front of a giant lake. All land routes were cut off, the dogs being reined in by their masters. She narrowed her eyes at the men. The signs on their uniforms and the generally lower IQ reassured her she wasn't going back to prison tonight. She glanced at the water again, sorely tempted.
"I wouldn't go for it if I were you." A smooth voice warned her, "You'll only find more agents lining the opposite shore."
Elena slowly turned around, stiffening defiantly.
"Gemini, how kind of you to make an appearance. I was beginning to think you were the sort of commander who led from behind a desk," she said coolly, her voice lilting with the hints of her old accent.
"You must be very proud of yourself, Electronique of Troy; starting a battle between two rival organizations for your possession. It's taken quite the manpower to secure you."
The wall of agents parted slightly to her right and a figure emerged, tall, muscular, and traditionally sinister looking. Her hands balled into fists as she caught sight of him, keeping her feet planted firmly where they stood. Gemini waved his hand dismissively, the moonlight reflecting off the metal.
"Leave us," he commanded. The agents obediently dispersed and, though she was avoiding looking at him, she could feel his eye on her.
They listened to the footsteps fading away, their own silence broken only by the small wakes lapping at the shore. There was the light grind of footsteps sinking into rough sand as Gemini closed the gap.
"Lena…" The soft passionate tone of a lover.
Elena looked up and felt her chest swell, emotions jolting through her. Her heart didn't recognize that nearly two decades had passed, just that he was here, still fighting for her.
"Sheldon," she murmured, tilting her head back and reaching upwards. He didn't need any further encouragement.
Strong arms wrapped around her as she tasted his lips, lips that personified desire and heat. She dissolved into him like salt into water, throwing away any pretense of resistance. Perfectly crafted, perfectly controlled Elena fell aside to let Electronique fully and truly emerge.
There was a sting on her arm and she glanced down in time to see the last of a syringe's contents disappearing into her bloodstream. She snarled.
"I thought we agreed no sedatives." He looked down at her smugly, brushing the hair away from her forehead.
"That was before you disappeared off the face of the earth without so much as a note."
Seconds later, the anesthetic started to work its magic, and things were getting a bit hazy. Her knees buckled and he caught her, resting her head against his chest and scooping her up bridal-style. There was the vague sense of movement, and then Elena fell unconscious.
III
If someone had poured an ice cold gallon of water on Felix's head, he probably wouldn't've noticed it. His brain pinballed through the facts his mother had given him; facts about the life he thought he knew, facts about herself, facts about the people coming to get them. He tried to fill Ron in on what was happening, but he had to backtrack several times, or just had a giant question mark instead of a concrete answer.
"Man," Ron concluded, sinking back into the couch. They were both staring at the t.v., but not actually watching it, "Your mom's a super villain hiding from your secret agent father with help from a covert government organization. …you can't write stuff like this." Felix nodded his agreement.
Maybe, if he was really lucky, he'd learn it was just some joke. A reality show, maybe.
Kim came back into the living room, rubbing the back of her neck nervously.
"I got a hold of Dr. Director…" She murmured, looking down at her feet, "They saw her on Wannaweep Way, but she ran… They think WEE caught her." Felix frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"Well, maybe it'll be different for your mom," Ron warned, "But they cuffed me to a table, tempted me with my favorite foods to take a job there, and then when I told 'em no they threatened to obliterate me." Felix grimaced.
"I don't like those odds. Either way I'm going to lose her."
"Relax. She's an ex-villain, right?" Felix nodded, "Then she'll probably take the job offer."
"Ron!" Kim hissed. Felix sighed, rubbing at his forehead.
"He's right…" He started towards the door, "Is my house gonna be safe? Or does someone have it booby trapped?"
"Dr. Director says that WEE cleared out of Middleton after they got her," she said, forcing a smile, "I guess you aren't a target."
Was that supposed to be reassuring? That the forces fighting over his mother were adult enough to leave him out of it? Maybe he wanted to be a target, to be able to use himself as a bargaining chip. To do something instead of twiddle his thumbs and hope for info.
Kim and Ron escorted him home, three shadows on the Middleton sidewalks. Kim planned out loud; tomorrow they'd check in with Global Justice, and see what they could do to help them rescue Dr. Renton. If GJ wanted them out of it, they'd launch their own scheme. They knew where the WEE quarters were and, regardless of her decision, they'd bring her back.
The house seemed safe enough, not ransacked or too quiet or anything. Felix almost went to his room…but glanced towards his mother's room instead.
"I'll be right back, you guys," he said before rolling that direction.
Nothing had been touched since the other day; her lab coat was still tossed on the bed and the closet door was still ajar. He remembered the warnings his mother had given him never to go through her closet. It didn't matter anyway; every time he tried it it was locked. He went to the beckoning cabinet, took a deep breath, and then brushed the hanging clothes inside.
There wasn't much, but enough to solidify Elena Renton's guilt of a second life. A set of lock-picking tools, a couple issues of some magazine called "Villainess", a file filled with newspaper clippings of rare and expensive artifacts, a business card from a guy named Sheldon Director… A second life that he had never imagined existed. He was vaguely aware that Kim and Ron were there standing off to one side, not trying to intrude but too curious to keep away. Felix leaned forward, pulling out a bulky metal chest. It didn't take him long to get the combination figured out; if it wasn't in binary, then it wasn't an option for his mother's codes.
He lifted the lid to reveal two items. The first was the suit she had spoken of and he pulled it out to examine it. It wasn't bulky, but it didn't move as easily as cotton clothing, like chain mail. It had a feminine figure to it, and there was no way his hands would fit into the petite claws. He slipped a hand inside the suit, and it crackled with static electricity when it moved. He set it aside and picked up the second item.
It was a head piece with wild welded hair, a smooth metallic face, and goggles. It too crackled at the warmth of his hand and he stared into its dark eyes.
"I'm surprised she wasn't arrested by the fashion police." He joked, holding the helmet up for them to see. Kim sucked in a breath and Ron's jaw dropped.
"Your mom's Electronique?" He exclaimed.
"Indeed."
All three of their heads turned at the voice. Dr. Director stood casually in the doorway, appearing seemingly out of thin air. There was something familiar about the woman, Felix thought; the eyepatch, the hair style. Maybe he'd seen her a few times when he was a kid, like a mother's friend you didn't pay attention to when you were young but were there all the same. She bowed her head.
"It's rare that super villains ever express the desire to settle down; we don't think of them behind white picket fences, or with families. But it must happen, at least occasionally," she mused. Felix set the helmet back down into the chest, his eyes never leaving the stranger.
"Who are you?" He asked. She smiled.
"I'm sorry, Felix; it's easy to forget that you don't know me. I am Dr. Director and, according to several rather extensive paternity tests, your Aunt Betty." Felix stared at her, as did Kim and Ron. Dr. Director seemed nonplussed, though, gesturing down the hallway, "I'm sure you have quite a few questions about all of this, and they will be answered in time. But right now we need to get going; your mother is probably spilling the beans to Gemini as we speak."
"Do I have a choice?" Felix asked skeptically. Dr. Director smirked.
"That's the entire reason for this charade, isn't it?"
Le End
Oh em gee, how dare I, rite? Just as we finally figure out who the father is, Felix learns the basis of his mother's past, the rival organizations seem to be warming up for a battle over one boy… I end it. Is it a publicity stunt? No, because statistically only about half of the readers of the original will go for the sequel. I have my author stylistic reasons for this. One, because shorter stories are easier to work with, and can be edited/written faster, ergo faster turnaround time. Two, because they are two different kinds of stories; this one is more of a mystery, while the sequel is more suspense-driven.
So yes, if you aren't too off-put by having to read a whole different story instead of just clicking to the next chapter, I would implore you to follow me on the next half of the adventure. Felix is just getting his feet wet with all of this, after all, and two lovers are finally reunited after almost two decades. Speaking of, I was surprised only one person was brave enough to put it forward that Gemini was the father; guess I wasn't as obvious as I thought I was.
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read this, and I hope to see you with the next installment. Really, it's not so much a sequel as the second act of a play, or the second half after intermission or something.