Disclaimer. The source material isn't mine. I just borrowed the characters. Don't worry, I treat them about as nicely as their owners do.

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Robbie was standing on the beach, speechless. Jade had won. Jade was every bit as bad ass that everyone, all the rumors, had claimed. Robbie, for the life of him, couldn't guess why Jade had shown the occasional cowardly streak. The girl certainly didn't have anything to fear from anyone, let alone the people she'd be likely to meet day to day.

Inside, there was another voice screaming that the finishing move she'd performed, driving Lucas Lee's head into the cement, wasn't possible. 'The physics...' But then again, not much of what he was seeing was possible. Like even now, Jade looked to be talking her way into control of the movie. He suspected, no he knew, that her assaulting their star should have resulted in her going to jail, not getting control of a major Hollywood movie. 'Okay, direct to video, but it's the same point.' He thought.

Then another thought pulled him out of his stupor. Cat was somewhere on the set. He went looking, confident security wouldn't bother trying to stop him. When the large man in the security uniform did try, he just said. "Weren't you watching? I'm mister Lee's guest."

"I know, but you still need a badge." The security guard said, then proceeded to issue the nerd a badge.

Now armed with a badge that said he belonged, Robbie looked for Cat, but she wasn't there. Instead he found Beck in his trailer. "Beck, have you seen Cat?" He asked the handsome Canadian.

"She's not on set tonight. She was supposed to be in that scene Jade ruined, but they changed it at the last minute. Instead she's probably at the studio, filming something with Tori." Underneath his calm exterior, Beck seemed scared. Nothing had ever scared Beck, not even being locked up in a foreign prison. But the normally calm and collected Canadian was shaken, and Robbie understood why. Gideon Graves had some scary enforcers, and seemed to be able to work around the law. Lee was apparently number two, and if they went in assenting order, then the fights would only get harder as they moved forward.

Of course, it could also have something to do with the fact that Beck's Ex just hospitalized someone. 'Someone inhumanly tough. He should be dead. I mean, she pulverized the cement into dust.' Robbie thought. Knowing Jade, who was the most psychotic person he knew personally, was that scary dangerous, didn't surprise the puppet master. It didn't comfort him either. "So Beck, I know he's helping your career, but how can you live with yourself? I mean, you sold your soul to Gideon Graves, and you can see how he treats Cat. How do you sleep at night?" Robbie asked.

"Sleeping pills." The actor replied. "I mean, I miss Jade." he smiled for just a second. "After tonight, I think I'd be too scared of her ever to date her again." Seeing the look on Robbie's face, he continued. "It's not like that. I care about her, and while the passion has faded, what I meant is, Jade can't be with a guy who's afraid of her. I talked to Moose, and he said that, as soon as he was afraid of her, she didn't want him near her anymore. I love her, more as a friend now, but I do care. And I'm so proud of how she dealt with Lucas, even if he was the coolest of Gideon's minions." Beck was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Then Tell the 'G-Man' I'm coming for him, and if my luck holds, then someone will be there to help me every time one of his boys steps up to stop me." Robbie said.

"I'll tell him. But Robbie, be careful. I don't want to lose a friend over this. Cat's too valuable for Gideon to just use her. Tori is more the one I'm worried about, but Gideon's trying to woe her right now, so she's safe. I think. Just be careful, okay. I don't know if your luck will hold out much longer. Especially if you keep pushing it." Beck told his friend, sounding both sincere and scared.

"Hang tight. I'll get you out of this. I'll get all of you out of this." Robbie promised him. It was surreal, saying that to Beck. Beck was the one to make those kinds of promises. Robbie was the kind to need someone to help pull his fat out of the fryer. Or maybe help someone else help the person who needs it. But tonight, despite who did the actual fighting, Robbie was cast in the roll of the hero. It didn't quite fit.

A short time later, across town, Gideon Gordon Graves, also known as the G-Man, was finishing a phone call. "I understand, Beck. No, don't worry. I don't blame you for your ex's actions. No, Lucas is going to be fine, assuming he wakes from the coma, and his months of intensive physical therapy go well. But the doctors assure me, in a year or so, he'll be as good as new. N ow take care, Beck. And don't worry. I have too much invested in that movie to let it drop." He hung up, and sighed. "Can she really take over?" He asked the unfortunate but well dressed man he'd summoned to sit next to him. It was the only time he'd agree to have someone so un-hip sitting at his table, but he needed his lawyer to explain just how bad this was getting.

"Not really, but it seems the director, and the studio, are interested in the direction she wants to take the movie. And with Lucas out, they'd have to recast his role, and that could prompt a rewrite anyways." The lawyer said.

"So she could hijack my movie?" The G-Man said.

"It's possible, but not as long as you're in the picture." The counselor said.

"So she's going to be coming after me." It was a statement. "We cannot afford to let this continue to spin out of control. Call the Katayagi twins. I'll need them to deal with this Jade."

"Or, you could try another way to contain her. Didn't you recently have Todd break up with Envy?" Someone else at the table asked.

"You know, Danny, that's a good idea. Lets see what Todd can do first. Maybe he'll take care of all my problems." Gideon said. "And with some work, maybe Jade could be made to look cool. Or, you know, less gothic freaky. It'd be worth it, now that I know she's as bad ass as her rep says. Most bullies aren't as bad ass as their rep imply. You knew that, right? Never mind. Once she's been properly convinced, and made to look more cool and less Emo, then she could join my evil henchmen!"

"I'll get right on it." Danial said. He'd come a long way from when he was just Tori's ex, dating Cat. But he had his own issues, and since Cat threw him to the side in her quest for cute boys, Danial had worked for years to find some way to exact some revenge. Gideon was perfect. Like Envy Adams before her, Cat would have every aspect of her life controlled, and when the G-Man got tired of her, she'd be given to one of his chosen as a girlfriend. And if she rebelled, then G-Man would use his influence to blacklist her, like he'd done to Envy. Cat was a virtual slave. But Danial wanted more. Looking at his options, he decided to take Robbie out himself. He knew who was dangerous, and so who to keep away. He just needed to force fate's hand.

Todd was a great choice. Strong and stupid. Soon Robbie would be dead, and Danial's future, and revenge, would be assured. He just needed a little insurance to make sure that Fate didn't cheat him.

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Interlude one is complete. I hope you've enjoyed this so far, and are looking forward to the next few chapters.