Antisocial Behavior

A very disturbing Cinderella story

Chapter 4: This Force On Earth Can Move the Blob

8-21-2016

by Grey-X

Disclaimer: Cinderella and all other characters that appear in this story are the property of Disney. Including the Marvel Comics and Star Wars characters. If you still got a hair up your ass about that all these years later, go eat a bowl of dicks.

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Drizella impatiently drummed her fingers on the table as she waited in the hospital's cafeteria. She and her sister were supposed to have breakfast with their mother this morning, but she had yet to show up. Glancing at the clock, Drizella saw that it was almost ten, yet still no sign of their mother. Sighing in disgust, Drizella flopped down onto the table, resting her head over her arms. The sooner she and her sister got out of here, the better. After having to spend so many months in forced servitude, Drizella learned the hard way that whenever another conflict was brewing between her mother and Cinderella, she had best stay away. FAR away. What strife could arise from the two of them being forced to share the same hospital room, Drizella didn't know. And she didn't WANT to know. So the sooner they could have breakfast and leave, the better…

Then again, maybe I'm being paranoid, Drizella told herself. A few days cooped up together while they're stuck in casts and slings… What's the worst they could do to each other? Though some nagging feeling in the back of Drizella's head told her that was wishful thinking. No, something would happen, and when it did, Drizella had no intention of being anywhere near this hospital. That thought drowned out all others. She couldn't even take any joy from seeing Cinderella flattened both figuratively and literally, since the reputation of their entire universe had rested on her shoulders. Speaking of that, would it have been THAT hard to knock down that Pryde girl a few more times and win by decision? Of course, an equally nagging thought told Drizella she couldn't have hoped to last a single round, so shut your ugly face.

Yet as all sorts of tumultuous thoughts preoccupied Drizella, if her sister was dwelling on any such conflicts, she sure wasn't showing it. For despite being pegged as the less shallow of the pair, at the moment, Anastasia was fussing over the most insignificant things. "You've GOT to be kidding me!" Anastasia snarled, looking down at some insipid little device in her hands. "They had to make me out as one of the BAD GUYS again in this new game!? Now I know how the parrot feels! You spend SO MUCH time trying to be good and doing the right thing, but NOOOOOOOOOO! You'll ALWAYS be remembered as the villain!"

Drizella glanced over her shoulder as Anastasia kept pacing back and forth behind the table, her eyes glued to that stupid PSP. "Oh, go cry into your boyfriend's sourdough muffins or something," Drizella spat back, then smiled cruelly. "And look on the bright side: you new voice actress doesn't make you sound like a nasally mouse in a jumpsuit."

Anastasia grit her teeth as she snarled some more, then had the gall to rear her hand back, as if to slam that PSP in her sister's face. At first, Drizella couldn't help but to grin back insouciantly, but then, she noticed something odd about it. "Wait a second… Isn't that CINDERELLA'S PSP!?"

And then, Drizella felt the weight of an unseen, cold stare bearing down on the two of them, and judging by how Anastasia suddenly tensed up, she felt it as well. But this sudden chill… It was quite different from when their mother would saunter into a room. As they slowly turned toward the cafeteria entrance, Drizella saw why. Just a few feet from their table, in her wheelchair, was Cinderella instead, lazily propping her head onto her left arm. And two of those vermin were with her as well, half-hidden by her hair. Those two rodents looked as suspicious as ever of both of them. Cinderella may have buried the hatchet with Anastasia, but those furballs weren't so forgiving. Drizella didn't want them as enemies anymore, either.

As for their stepsister… There was no anger or frustration in her features, as per usual. But when she abruptly glanced at the PSP in Anastasia's hands, and then back at them, her eyes seemed to radiate a challenging coolness rather than their usual insufferable warmth. Again, no anger, but those eyes were dangerously inquisitive.

Even with Cinderella wheelchair-bound, Drizella was in no mood to take chances with someone who could slug it out with a ninja. But she could only stare back blankly at her stepsister, and judging from the deafening silence from Anastasia, it was the same way with her. Yet she was cogent enough to shove Cinderella's PSP in Drizella's lap. Her gaze drifted down to it, then with hiss of fury, Drizella shoved it back in her sister's arms, who promptly tried to push it back her way. Drizella stood up as the shoving match continued, each of them desperate to get rid of the PSP. And in short order, the shoving match devolved into them wrestling each other as they rolled around on the floor, screaming and pulling at whatever was in reach.

All the while, Cinderella and the mice could only watch as they rolled around in the middle of the cafeteria. But soon, with a hearty chuckle and a smile, Cinderella could only say, "And people always ask why I can never hold a grudge against you two." She scooped up the PSP while nonchalantly wheeling her way past them.

Drizella barely heard Cinderella, being wrapped up in showing her sister who was boss. But then, while trying to strangle each other, something registered. Shoving Anastasia's face to the floor, Drizella called back to Cinderella. "Hey, if you're here, where's Mother?"

Cinderella glanced over her shoulder, and that glint in her eyes… No, the usual warmth hadn't returned, but a different sort of disturbing passion shone in them instead. "Oh, I think she might have mentioned something about needing a little fresh air," Cinderella said with a nasty grin.

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Lady Tremaine was still gasping when she pried the oxygen mask off, her eyes still bloodshot and bulging out. She was supposed to meet with her dimwitted daughters this morning for breakfast, but a whole night of having to endure what lurked in the putrid depths of Cinderella's bowels…

Tremaine shuddered at the horrific memories just as Lucifer reached up and snatched the rebreather mask for himself. Having to share the limited amount of oxygen available at any given time over the course of half a day while being besieged by… "UGH!" Tremaine snarled. It was actually a good thing that Lucifer had snagged the mask. At the moment, Tremaine was liable to throw up into it.

Face it Tremaine. This was a ploy worthy of any villain worth their salt, Disney or Marvel. Your stepdaughter couldn't have set her trap any better, Tremaine admitted silently as she did her best to ignore the lingering stink of Cinderella's Gummi Berry farts. Like many hospital rooms, this one had been set up with negative pressure, ensuring that her stepdaughter's… foul deed would more or less be contained. Add to that how those vermin of hers chewed through the wires for the nurse call button, and how enervated Tremaine was from that initial volley with gunpowder… There had been no escape, and only brief respites via the oxygen mask. At least Cinderella had not been ruthless enough to have the mice chew the tubes for THAT.

No, this wasn't about simple revenge in the form of dish served cold, Tremaine reasoned as she struggled against the urge to gag. How one person could explode for hours on end with such vileness… The stench must have permeated the fibers of every fabric in the room! She snatched the mask back as Lucifer was breathing in deeply, ignoring his hisses and stare. This was more of a message. Crown or no, royal standing or no, Cinderella's stated loud and clear there's depths of depravity she's willing to sink to if she has to. That she can play as dirty as her newer princess friends, or any villain, when the need arises.

The more Tremaine dwelled on Cinderella's grotesque stunt, the more it sank in how badly she miscalculated. How badly she had misjudged what made her stepdaughter tick. Oh, at first, there was delight upon seeing there was a wild streak within Cinderella. And if only it could be coaxed to the surface more and more, it could do untold damage to her image. Of course, she figured such newfound wildness was limited to only physical combat. One fueled by a deep-seated insecurity regarding their new Marvel friends, one the princess was loathe to acknowledge herself. Furthermore, she figured her stepdaughter's backward sense of honor would keep her from, well, unloading this new penchant for beatdowns upon HER.

She was only half-right about that last one, and nothing else. Oh these Marvels… Tremaine had briefly been introduced to some of their new fellow villains. Apocalypse, the Green Goblin, Doctor Doom, Mandarin, the Red Skull, Ultron, Loki… As much as Tremaine hated to admit it, those maniacs easily rivaled herself and her villainous associates in terms of devilish ingenuity. The heroes they faced would HAVE to be masterful strategists themselves, as well as physically tough, to keep them in check all these years. And be RUTHLESS in the application of such strategy. That was the most damning thing about last night. That boxing match proved she could go a few rounds with an actual superhero, but Tremaine unknowingly pushed her into using devious tactics like a superhero as well. Granted, Tremaine had done that once already, when she tried to restructure time. But Cinderella was digging into an entirely different bag of tricks this go-round.

This was uncharted territory. It was already tough to feel out where she stood, now that both of them were infirm and stuck together in this hospital. But Cinderella herself, her personality and perhaps her very soul… She was changing more quickly than Tremaine ever anticipated. The otherwise obedient girl that could only draw strength from the hope and dreams she kept to herself was very different now. She didn't wait for her little animal friends to do the heavy lifting anymore. She did the heavy lifting WITH them. Mere resilience had changed to open defiance and rebellion when pushed to the wall. And that was BEFORE these Marvels showed up and changed everything again. Expectations had shifted even more. And as Cinderella struggled to come to terms with them…

I've stupidly put myself right in her path, gave her a convenient target to vent her frustrations out on, Tremaine realized, right before Lucifer snatched the mask away yet again. So I'll just have to push back harder than ever before. Remind that fool girl that as devious as she can be, I'm still the master in that arena. And I will, once I can think right… If I can rid of this damnable stench!

As the foul, lingering odor assaulted her nostrils once again, Tremaine was ready to muster up her last reserves of strength to grab the mask and shove Lucifer off the bed. But before she could, Tremaine slowly realized that the stink was steadily getting less overpowering. Not only that, it was getting a little hot in their room. And though the sun was shining through the window, Tremaine could swear it was steadily getting darker. As if some force was starting to suck away the ambient light, all light…

Tremaine knew what was going on, felt her familiar presence, an instant before a pillar of sickly green flame appeared in the middle of the room. The flames began to turn inward, take a flowing form, and through the soul-sucking darkness she created around herself, Tremaine could still see a familiar face glowering down at her. As the flames took the shape of a billowing black cloak, it swayed and flowed as its wearer swept closer to the bed. Yes, that was how Maleficent tended to make herself known, come in uninvited in a showy display of dark power. Yet this time, something was different…

"Hmph. Bad hair day, bad horn day, or both?" Tremaine quipped with a slight sneer. After all, Maleficent's entrance dissipated the lingering farts, so Tremaine had no excuse to be rude; Maleficent would EXPECT such a show of snark. Besides, Tremaine was genuinely curious. For whatever reason, Maleficent had decided against her usual cowl. Thus her horns were left unwrapped, and her long brown hair flowed free.

Maleficent glanced up at her horns, then tossed her hair aside before glaring back at Tremaine. "You know you're the only one who never shows anxiety when I appear, or would be so flippant towards me. I suppose it's why I always found your company… refreshing." She added a devilish grin of her own to that last bit. "But to answer your question, I've found the cowl…restrictive since, well…" Her hand went to her jaw, and as she twitched it sideways, Tremaine swore she heard it pop.

"Well, certainly you've had no further trouble with your own insufferably pure-hearted princess," said Tremaine. Granted, that didn't accurately describe Cinderella anymore. But certainly Aurora couldn't be changing like that, fighting expertise or no.

If possible, Maleficent's gaze grew colder. "Don't be so certain."

"And…why is that?" asked Tremaine, unperturbed.

"How to put this?" said Maleficent thoughtfully. "You recall how, upon the girl's birth, people were quick to shower her with gifts, right up to those damnable fairies? Well, some of those Marvel fools wanted to retroactively get in on the act…"

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High up in one of the towers of her castle, Aurora was at her desk, busily going over papers in her chambers. Though she was focusing quite intently on her work, she was still sharp enough to catch something in the reflection on her pewter cup. With the way her desk was situated, Aurora's back was to the biggest window. Presently, it was open, and Maleficent's familiar, the raven Diablo, was poking his beak in to spy on her.

At the moment, Diablo didn't suspect he'd been spotted. Which suited Aurora just fine. With a smirk, trying not to make any sudden moves, she slipped a couple fingers under her dress's sleeve…

Anyone listening in the courtyards below could have heard a high-pitched squawk high above just then. And if those who heard it looked up, they might have glimpsed a small, black and white blob of something rocketing across the airspace above the courtyards, zooming from one tower to another.

At last, Diablo was slammed onto the wall of an adjacent tower. Once he did, the white glop flung at him spread out not unlike a spider's web, anchoring him right to the wall.

For a moment, Diablo didn't even struggle against the webbing and simply stared straight ahead, too shellshocked to process how Aurora just blindsided him. But that flummoxed gaze shifted to his usual mocking leer soon enough, For to add insult to injury, Merryweather had just appeared, snapping selfies of herself hovering before the hapless raven with a floating camera.

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"Diablo still insists his feathers keep sticking together long after that," Maleficent added. "Speaking of which, where is Diablo?" Maleficent got her answer when a loud squawk echoed within the room, followed by the raven flying across it with Lucifer in hot pursuit. Maleficent just glanced at the pair as they shot around, then looked back to Tremaine. "Would you like to try reining in the cat, or shall I?"

Tremaine was about to try the former, but then remember how much oxygen Lucifer hogged. "Oh go on, if you feel you can discipline Lucifer better than I."

"Very well," said Maleficent smoothly. Aiming her staff at Lucifer, there was a loud crack, and suddenly he was incased in what looked like an oversized soccer ball. Diablo perched himself atop it, giving a satisfying nod, but then the soccer ball began rolling around with wild abandon. "Now, on to business. My dear Lady Tremaine, do forgive me for neglecting to drop in until now. It pains me to hear that you suffered such…misfortune at that latest boxing match without even stepping into the ring yourself."

A thinly-veiled jab at how, unlike her, Tremaine would never have stepped into that ring. That was one difference between them: Maleficent wouldn't hesitate to dirty her hands when the need arose. Brushing it aside, Tremaine said, "So you've come to offer condolences for something that was partially your fault anyway? Why not have saved yourself the trouble and send some wilted, soot-stained flowers instead?" These back-and-forth jabs, it's how it always went. Cinderella and Aurora would never understand, but it was a show of respect between them.

Maleficent chuckled. "Perhaps, but I'll be honest. You're not the only reason I'm here. I actually wanted to see that Deadpool fellow's stand-up routine. There's ONE Marvel I feel deserves my respect. But alas, that one minion of mine gave me the wrong date. Hopefully I'll remember to pull him up from hanging by his nose hair tomorrow."

Mutual respect between them aside, Tremaine couldn't keep the disgust out of her voice. "Trust me Maleficent, you didn't miss much. That…man is a special breed of vile that even I cannot abide by."

"Vile, unpredictable, neither truly a villain or some soppy hero," Maleficent said with a caress in her voice that was almost…LOVING? "There are few beings that can claim to be chaos incarnate, but this Wade Wilson is one of them. It's what makes him…intriguing." Tremaine could only stare in shock, so much so she barely noticed when Lucifer's soccer ball bounced around Maleficent. She nonchalantly kicked it aside. "But it's good I came anyway. I may have missed his act, but the man seems to have a nasty habit of leaving his weapons and ammunition behind." With that, Maleficent produced a duffel bag from within her cloak, and let it drop with a thud.

Tremaine stared at it for a moment. The memory of what the gunpowder appropriated from that bag did… Refusing to show weakness before Maleficent, Tremaine fought down the nausea as best she could. "So you came here to see the mercenary's comedy routine, and decided to drop in as an afterthought. You flatter me, Mistress of All Evil."

"Well, not just you," Maleficent went on, not missing a beat. "It seems my blunders back at the House of Mouse were bigger than I thought. I wound up putting Frederick Dukes in here as well. He's purportedly as invulnerable as that clod Marko who toppled onto you. Or so I mistakenly thought. Magical flame spit out while I'm a dragon, well… third-degree burns necessitating some grafts are now in order, it appears."

Tremaine couldn't really care less about another one of these X-Oafs, and let her disdain be known. "YOU were the one who sparked that brawl with those Marvels the other day! And you're suddenly concerned for the well-being of one of these mutant clods because…why?"

"My rather towering temper has cooled down some, to be certain. And besides, it's simply a healthy dose of respect for a fellow agent of evil," Maleficent said smoothly. "Granted, the poor sod won't be winning chess matches against Doctor Doom anytime soon, but one must respect how he's been a consistent thorn in the side of the heroes he opposed for so long. But enough. I'm sure you're tired of these mutated freaks at this rate. As to what I'm come to YOU for, it's quite simple. A little dark magic, and all those broken bones can be mended in an instant. If I'll be unable to humble the annoyingly pure princess in my life anytime soon, at least I can watch with glee as you antagonize yours."

For a moment, Tremaine's disgust and frustration faded. Yes, that would be quite agreeable, walking out of the hospital on her own power, leaving the fool girl to stew with her litany of broken bones. And the salt in the wound would be it being courtesy of her own 'friend' and their mutual distaste for anything good and decent that brought happiness, and…

Tremaine's momentary glee evaporated in an instant as she considered that. No, no this wouldn't be a victory over Cinderella at all, she suddenly realized.

Maleficent sensed her sudden reluctance. "Now what is it, Tremaine?" she demanded impatiently,

"If you, the self-proclaimed Mistress of All Evil, are willing to heal my injuries out of the goodness of your black heart, then it stands to reason that Cinderella's Fairy Godmother has already made the same offer to her," said Tremaine. "And yet, her bones remain unmended. She CHOSE not to escape this hospital, instead deigning to, to…" This time, Tremaine couldn't help but throw up a little in her mouth.

"To what?" Maleficent inquired silkily. "Do tell. Come now, Lady Tremaine, we used to share so much. Evil plots, devious strategies, voice actresses."

What do you mean USED TO share voice actresses? We STILL do! Tremaine fumed inwardly. Swallowing, and with a sigh, Tremaine laid bare how completely Cinderella had trapped her last night.

As she recalled the sad tale, Maleficent had remained silent, her face smooth and cold. Until, as expected, her lips curved into a cruel smile. "I guess I should count myself lucky after all. Losing that boxing match to Aurora doesn't seem nearly as humiliating now."

"Does this mean you're now unwilling to help me antagonize Cinderella?" Tremaine asked quickly. "Cinderella already cheated in one sense. I suspect it was her Fairy Godmother who fetched that botched dish of Snow White's for her. And already, you've fetched…" Tremaine tilted her head to the side to look past Maleficent. Maleficent looked down to where she had focused her gaze: Deadpool's duffel bag.

After Tremaine laid out the plan taking shape in her mind, Maleficent's mocking smile grew even more pronounced. "I must say, it will certainly take more than a…gassing to make you lose your edge," Maleficent said slyly. "Well then, if there's no further need for me here, I believe I shall take my leave."

And with that, Maleficent whirled around and walked to the center of the room, Diablo following close behind. Green flames were already sprouting up from her cloak. A troubling possibility suddenly occurred to Tremaine. "Maleficent, wait! Take care with that fiery power. This time, it might set off…"

A blaring wail resounded within her hospital room, just as the soccer ball entrapping Lucifer bounded up onto Tremaine's bed and Maleficent vanished completely. A moment later, Lucifer managed to cut open the soccer ball with his claws, only to get doused along with his mistress as the sprinklers kicked in. Tremaine could only just sit there as they got drenched, vowing to bottle up her frustration and take it out on a certain uppity stepdaughter…

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It was now high noon, and the sun shone high above, unimpeded by clouds. Yesterday evening, Cinderella had been unable to simply drink in the courtyard garden's beauty, the simple pleasures life had to offer even when cursed with a battered and broken body, thanks to their haste in setting the trap for her stepmother. Thankfully, given how Tremaine would doubtless be out of their hair for a few more hours, Cinderella and the mice had time to take a breather. And so, Cinderella slowly wheeled her chair through the courtyard, Jaq and Gus still half-hidden in her hair, soaking in the sun and the scent of flowers wafting over due to a light breeze. For a few moments, it served to put her mind at ease, despite how much of her body still ached.

But something else soon served to ensure that such a respite was a fleeting one. Abruptly, Cinderella brought her wheelchair to a halt, letting out a sigh. If Jaq and Gus had no inkling that something was nagging at the back of Cinderella's mind before, there was no ignoring it now. Brushing a few locks of Cinderella's hair aside, Jaq stepped across her shoulder. "What's wrong, Cinderelly? Aren't you happy now that you pranked your mean ol' stepmother and Lucifee harder than ever?"

Cinderella turned and flashed a wry smile at the mouse. "It was less about enjoying pranking a certain someone mercilessly and more about proving a point," said Cinderella warmly. But her bright expression immediately faded. "I'm just afraid, I've just realized… We'll both be here a few more days. Long enough for my stepmother to find a way to turn the tables. This sort of game isn't decided by one brilliant chess move. No, we've got plenty more moves to make before I can declare checkmate."

"Aw, you're worrying too much, Cinderelly," said Jaq quickly. But there was no mistaking the doubt in the mouse's voice.

"Says the mouse constantly urging caution yesterday while we hatched our little scheme," said Cinderella playfully with another smirk. Yet Cinderella knew she was doing as bad a job of hiding her unease as Jaq had. "But when we're dealing with someone who manipulated time just because she couldn't let go of a grudge, we can't be too careful."

Now it was Gus who stepped forward on her shoulder. "Uh, then why pick fight with Lucifee and your stepmother at all?"

Cinderella sighed again. "One, because she was just asking for it yesterday. And two, something just…snapped inside me when I saw her mocking glare in that ring. And three, well…these days, a princess just can't shy away from a challenge. Of any sort." Another sigh after reminding herself about how different things were nowadays. And despite her masterstroke of a prank yesterday, all her bravado in front of her stepmother, now she was stuck with the need to keep this front ongoing until they were both discharged. A few more days. A few more days of dreaming up traps for Tremaine to stumble into, or at least thwart any designs her stepmother had for her. And at the moment, Cinderella's mind was blank. "So any thoughts, you two?"

Neither mouse spoke up right away, but she did hear a tiny stomach gurgle a little. "Yeah, Gus-Gus still hungry," was Gus's reply. Which was followed by the sound of Jaq smacking him upside the head so hard, Gus tumbled down into her lap.

Despite her mood, Cinderella couldn't help but chuckle a little as she gently scooped the rotund little mouse up. Always such a healthy appetite, this one had. It was such a shame that at the moment, she couldn't exactly march into a kitchen and whip up something extra-special for all of them for supper. No, even without Prudence around, she would be hard-pressed to…

And all of a sudden, Cinderella had the answer to her dilemma. With a snap of her fingers, she declared, "That's it!" Her movements were so sudden, she had almost made Gus tumble into her lap again. "Whoops, sorry," she added sheepishly.

"Uh, what's 'it', Cinderelly?" asked a dubious-sounding Jaq.

"If I can't think of any more traps as ingenious as last night's, then the best I can do is stymie Stepmother until we're discharged," said Cinderella. "And yet, STILL make it clear she can't get the upper hand anymore. Draw her and Lucifer out, provide a tempting target, only for them to get slapped down. And I know just the sort of thing that's guaranteed to make them try…"

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It had taken a good deal of convincing, along with copious amounts of assurances that proper hand hygiene would be implemented. Hospitals were scandalous for hosting a host of pathogens after all, especially ones transmitted by fecal-oral route. But in the end, Cinderella had succeeded in persuading the hospital staff to let her make use of the kitchens to throw an impromptu party and get-together. The rationale, or so she claimed, was to try to cool down lingering tensions after that disastrous night at the House of Mouse, and being served anything besides run-of-the-mill hospital food would certainly help. But in actuality, she just wanted to give Tremaine and Lucifer an irresistible target. After the stunt Cinderella pulled with their dinners last night, no doubt Tremaine would find the prospect of tampering with the food she was preparing here poetic justice. Thus, the aim was to make sure whatever attempts she and Lucifer would doubtlessly make backfire horribly.

And so, Cinderella moved from one pot to the next, making sure the temperature for each was just so, adding ingredients in just the right proportion. Granted, it was difficult while stuck in a wheelchair, with limited mobility in one arm to boot. Nevertheless, Cinderella still found the simple art of cooking a soothing, rewarding experience. Even though this was primarily a means of drawing Tremaine's fire, it was already serving to calm her frayed nerves. Before, it had always helped ease the tension during those years her stepmother made her a slave in her own house, and much to Prudence's chagrin, she insisted on keeping her culinary skills sharp as a princess. And who knew, maybe this little ploy COULD ease lingering unease with those Marvels?

Mustn't get too relaxed, however, Cinderella told herself as she slid a plateful of carved-up potatoes into the last pot. Word must have reached every corner of the hospital already. Those rusty old gears in my stepmother's head must be putting out a hundred foot-pounds of torque right about now.

So when Tremaine – or far more likely, Lucifer acting on her orders – made a move, she had to be ready. In anticipation of that, Cinderella and the mice staked out the hospital kitchens in advance. Every possible entry point had been identified and was being monitored, right down to the air vents a certain pudgy feline with a nasty little disposition could meander through. So for the moment, all Cinderella could do was remain patient and calm, giving the rest of the world the appearance of a carefree, naïve princess thinking she was somehow making the world a better place. Granted, that was how Cinderella usually came off, so keeping up the illusion took little effort. It felt a little wrong to her, even such subtle deception. That her usual cheerful nature was now an illusion, hiding a mind trying to be more calculating than ever. But when trying to outfox her stepmother…

Cinderella was forced to put her self-doubts aside when a buzzing sound came to her ear. Thanks to all that gear Gadget Hackwrench supplied her friends, the mice could do more than just keep Lucifer in check. They could keep in touch as they monitored the cat's movements in a myriad of ways. Such as surreptitiously placing motion sensors in all the vents that led into the kitchens. Cinderella instinctively knew they had been tripped off a second before Gus's anxious voice resounded right in her ear. "Cinderelly, the vent's sensor's been tripped! Lucifee's on his way! Us mice-mice are en route!"

This was it. Her stepmother had sent Lucifer to sabotage her party plans, just as she figured she would. Now all Cinderella could do was play along and let Lucifer think he had a clear shot. She cast a sideways glance at a nearby vent; Cinderella couldn't see through it, but she could sense the malice on the other side, practically see Lucifer's sadistic grin. She couldn't help but flash a small, devilish smile of her own, right before announcing, "Oh dear, I guess all that gunpowder and Gummi Berry whatever had more of an effect then I thought. Time to hit the ladies' room." And with that, Cinderella wheeled herself out of the kitchen, hoping her air of nonchalance and naïveté would be convincing enough for a certain cat…

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As expected, just as Cinderella left the kitchens, the vent panel was forced off from the inside, and Lucifer squeezed his way out. Or at least, he was trying to. The poor cat's bulk was making his exit a trifle bit difficult. Lucifer grit his teeth as he tried to get his midsection unstuck from the vent frame, struggling with all his might. Then, at last, Lucifer popped himself free, and went flying across the kitchen, landing right into a stack of pots and pans.

What ensued was, of course, a cacophony of bangs and clangs as pots and pans scattered everywhere. As the din died down, one particularly large pot rolled over to where Cinderella had been busy moments before. A moment after it rolled to a stop, Lucifer poked his head out, once again finding himself hopelessly stuck. Grumbling to himself, he tried once again to free himself, but he was stuck worse than before. The pot bounced around a little as he mewled and wailed. It was a minor miracle Lucifer didn't make anyone else rush in to see what the fuss was about.

After what seemed an eternity, Lucifer pried himself free of that troublesome pot. Still growling to himself, Lucifer then hopped onto the counter, methodically crawling closer to the cookpots with Cinderella's special dishes, an evil leer stretching ear to ear on his face. His gaze turned aside to things like spices arranged on the counter, as if trying to decide what to add to ruin the food, and how much. But before Lucifer could really get any ideas…

A plangent but methodical string of weird 'popping' noises made Lucifer look behind him, to the far side of the kitchens. His eyes widened a bit as he saw this little metal SOMETHING – what looked to be partly made up of a metal spaghetti strainer surrounded by a ring fixed with suction cups – roll up the wall! Once it nearly reached the ceiling, it used a blast from an affixed hair dryer to launch itself off the wall, and then used a small skateboard affixed to its bottom half to roll along the counter. Things like bottles and drinking glasses were knocked aside as it rocketed toward Lucifer. Lucifer could only watch, dumbstruck as it skidded to a halt a few yards away.

The confusion and thinly-veiled dread on Lucifer's face… One could get intoxicated drinking it in, and Gus couldn't resist popping the hatch of Gadget's Gyro-Tank open to get a better look. "Now now now, Lucifee, we don't want any more mishaps with anyone's food, do we?" Gus said quizzically as he wagged an accusing finger.

Lucifer's gaze was that of complete bewilderment. No doubt Lucifer never suspected Gus and Jaq had perhaps the biggest gun in a certain inventor's arsenal. But Lucifer was sharper than most gave him credit for. Snapping out of it, he looked around for anything he could be an improvised weapon. And unfortunately for Gus, there was something handy: a big tube for squirting icing onto cakes. Lucifer's eyes narrowed evilly right before he looked back to Gus.

For a moment, Gus was truly perturbed. He had a weapon of his own within reach, right inside the Gyro-Tank: one of Gadget's bottlecap-launching crossbows. Gaining a little more confidence back, Gus raised his paw at his side, wiggling his fingers dangerously as he leered back at Lucifer. Meanwhile, Lucifer raised his own paw, making it clear he intended to reach for that big tube.

Gus and Lucifer just stared each other down a few moments longer, neither moving a muscle. For some reason, a slight breeze seemed to blow through the kitchen, ruffling their fur, and Gus swore it made whistling noises as well…

Then, in a flash of feline swiftness, Lucifer lunged for the tube. Gus reached down for Gadget's crossbow, but by the time he had that cat's smug face in his crosshairs, Lucifer had the tube of frosting aimed at the Gyro-Tank. Thankfully, Gus was a fraction of a second faster on the draw. That bottlecap was crossing the gap between them just as Lucifer cut loose with a torrent of frosting. When the bottlecap struck Lucifer in the eye, the shot went wild; instead of drowning Gus and Jaq in gooey, sugary sludge, it splattered over the side of the Gyro-Tank instead. Mewling in pain with a paw over his eye, Lucifer scrabbled in the opposite direction. In no time, he climbed the shelves on the opposite wall so he had a clear shot at that vent opening. Of course, he got stuck again as he bounded into it, but after a moment of struggling, Lucifer forced his way back through.

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Unfortunately, Gus and Jaq couldn't go after him. Not only had Cinderella made it clear that they could not leave the food unguarded in case Lucifer was nothing but a distraction, but the frosting had gummed up the Gyro-Tank. It impotently sputtered and wobbled in place as Jaq futilely tried to get it into gear. Something that amused Cinderella to no end when she wheeled her way back in. For a moment after rolling up to the Gyro-Tank, Cinderella just sat there, watching as the two mice argued as they fervently struggled to get the Gyro-Tank moving again. Eventually, it sounded like they were about to come to blows over it, so Cinderella spoke up and said, "Now now, boys. I'm sure that frosting will come out in due time, but for the moment, since I don't see Lucifer anywhere and it doesn't look like he tampered with anything, I think we succeeded."

Gus and Jaq glared at each other a moment longer before finally calming down. As they worked to dig out as much of the frosting as possible, Cinderella got back to inspecting what was cooking. "Everything…looks just about ready," she muttered to herself. "But we have to be absolutely sure that nothing's been sabotaged. Lucifer still could've planned this to look like he failed all along, to make us think the food wasn't tampered with."

And so, Cinderella got to work, taking little samples from each pot she was preparing. As the mice kept trying to remove as much frosting as they could – Gus, in particular was taking great delight in eating some of it – they kept glancing over at what Cinderella was doing. Neither could help but look a little flummoxed as Cinderella mixed bits of the food with some weird chemicals on little white cards. "Uh uh uh, what's all that for Cinderelly?" Gus asked, right before helping himself to another handful of frosting.

"Just parts from the test kits I had you two steal from the hospital laboratory," Cinderella replied as she mixed the chemicals and food samples together on the card with toothpicks. "The hospital lab must also be full of germs that could cause food poisoning. If Stepmother wants to frame me for trying to kill a slew of patients here, getting Lucifer to steal those sort of specimens is the easiest way to do it." Granted, Cinderella hadn't WANTED to steal from the laboratory, and of course, she'd have Jaq and Gus return the kits. But her stepmother wouldn't have any qualms about stealing from that same lab to harm the other patients to get at her. The only way to demoralize Tremaine to the point she wouldn't try anything else until they were discharged was to show she could anticipate any and all of her chess moves.

But as Cinderella rocked card after card, she couldn't find any evidence anything was amiss. None of the food bits mixed with reagents clumped up in the least. "No staph toxins, no sign of Shigella… Wow, maybe I gave Stepmother too much credit. I've tested for every common bug that can cause food poisoning, and it's been a whole lot of nothing."

"Since when are you an expert on germs anyway, Cinderelly?" demanded Jaq, still clawing away at the frosting gumming up Gadget's machine.

"That PSP makes for a nice web browser too," Cinderella said offhandedly as she kept staring at all the cards coming up negative. "Sooooo… I guess since everything's almost ready, we should get on with it. It won't truly be a slap in Stepmother's face until everyone's eating and having a good time." As frustrated as the mice were, Cinderella saw them smile and nod in agreement, even as they kept clawing away at the frosting. Obviously, they were feeling good about their chances, but something kept nagging at the back of Cinderella's mind. Could Tremaine find another way to mess everything up? Perhaps, but at the moment, Cinderella couldn't see how.

Finally, Jaq and Gus got enough of the frosting out to get the Gyro-Tank moving again. So as they sped off to hide it somewhere, Cinderella got to work prepping all her dishes for the impromptu party. Not an easy task, given how she was still confined to a wheelchair, with only one truly good arm. Still, it helped her focus, and filled her with hope that maybe tonight would at least be a little fun on top of showing up her stepmother again. Yet as Cinderella made the preparations, that nagging feeling remained.

And so, the hospital's auditorium was chosen for the festivities. The same place that that odd fellow Deadpool did his comedy routine last night. Cinderella couldn't help but wonder where that… oddball had scampered off too. But for the moment, Cinderella had plenty more of his… associates to keep track of. That whole brawl that erupted after she keeled over in that boxing ring had put a whole lot more people, from both camps, in this hospital than she previously imagined.

At least, for the moment, they were getting along. At that moment, Shego was hobbling up to the counter where Cinderella was personally serving out portions of her cooking. The feisty villainess had a broken leg and was relying on a crutch, but she was only half-looking at what Cinderella had to offer. She was more focused on talking with Emma Frost, who was in that weird diamond form. Thanks to the auditorium's lighting, Cinderella could spot a whole slew of cracks in that diamond form of hers. Obviously, it would take some time before those nasty fractures would mend. In the meantime, it looked like she was comparing notes with Shego. Cinderella had heard that this 'White Queen' was supposed to technically be an X-Man, yet she was finding common ground with this infamous villain-for-hire. Cinderella couldn't really hear much of their conversation, but Shego actually cracked a smile as she filled up her plate. Then the pair walked away.

Hmmm, I wonder… She can't eat while stuck in that diamond body? Cinderella mused as Emma Frost swept away, that white cape flowing behind her. Still, it was a spot of hope, seeing both camps getting along, even while being stuck here after pummeling each other for no reason. Hopefully that means incidents like that House of Mouse fiasco will be few and far between as time goes…

Cinderella was snapped out of her private musings as a huge shadow fell over her. That shadow, plus the uneasy vibe she was getting, told Cinderella just who had sauntered up. Smirking a little herself, she dryly said, "Let me guess, don't bother with a plate. Just give you the whole basin."

"Heh heh heh, the lady knows her clientele," came an eerily jovial reply. Cinderella slowly looked across the counter to see none other than Fred Dukes, the larger-than-life Blob. Supposedly, his skin was impervious to harm, not to mention his inner workings like bones. Yet his entire left leg was bound up in some sort of cast. Did he actually break his leg, or did something else happen? At any rate, given his stature, he had to set that injured leg of his on a dolly, the kind used at home improvement stores to haul lumber.

Forcing herself to stop staring at that messed-up leg, Cinderella looked back up to meet Blob's gaze. "So what'll it be?" she asked, trying to look as disinterested as possible. No point letting this guy know how uneasy his mere presence made her.

Flashing an obnoxious smile himself, one that highlighted all that jowly blubber on his face, Blob pointed a huge finger at the basin full of clam chowder. Shrugging her shoulders, Cinderella pulled out the entire thing, tossed in a big serving spoon, and just handed it over. She didn't mind Blob hogging it all for himself. In fact, she had planned on something like this happening after hearing whispers of him being admitted here. She just wanted him gone from her presence.

"Many thanks," said Blob sardonically as he set the basin on that dolly. "Hopefully you cook at least as good as you box."

Irritation crept up along with her unease. "Ah, I see. Disappointed I didn't put a certain X-Man down for the count?"

"Naw, it was fun seeing you give the kitty a run for her money," jeered the Blob. "And hey, always had a thing for redheads. Just ask one of them X-Dupes next time the mouse tosses you in the ring with one of 'em." He punctuated that by reaching over and fiddling with a lot of her hair before lumbering off with that dolly. Cinderella had had to fight the urge to recoil out of disgust. Her skin was crawling well after the Blob situated himself in a corner to chug down her chowder.

Her eyes still glued to the Blob's back, Cinderella at first didn't hear that people had walked up behind her. Twirling her wheelchair around, Cinderella was a bit surprised to see her stepsisters there. "Um, if you're here to get something to eat, you should come around to the other side," Cinderella pointed out.

Amazingly, Cinderella's stepsisters looked at confused as she did. As if they had no idea why they were even there. "Actually, we're not exactly here for food or anything," said Drizella anxiously.

"Uh, yeah. Mother said to give you this," Anastasia added, handing Cinderella an envelope. Cinderella gazed at it for a moment, unsure what to make of it. Anastasia wouldn't want to do anything to antagonize her anymore. At least, not knowingly. Despite her better instincts, Cinderella reached out for the envelope. As she took it from Anastasia, Cinderella swore she heard some sort of metallic jingle. Upon opening it, she saw why. Cinderella dumped the envelope's contents into her waiting palm: a gaggle of weird metal rings.

And right at that moment, a huge explosion rocked the auditorium. Cinderella's head whirled around to gaze where the explosion went off. It came from the corner where Blob was. Now, the whole corner had been splattered with her clam chowder, and Blob just sat there, frozen in shock. But suddenly, he turned around, his gaze honing in on Cinderella. Or more accurately, what was in her hand.

Cinderella's eyes widened in horror as she realized what those rings were: grenade pins.

"YOU!" roared the Blob, pointing at her threateningly. Right before he started barreling toward her with the aid of that dolly. Prompting Cinderella to bring her wheelchair around and wheel out of their herself at top speed, screaming herself. As she began her desperate flight out of there, she caught quick glimpses of Drizella and Anastasia's faces. They were as shocked as everyone else. But that barely registered in Cinderella's mind. No, getting the hell away from the quarter-ton of incoming mutant blubber kind of took priority.

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Meanwhile, Lady Tremaine was resting comfortably in her and Cinderella's hospital room, lazing about as she watched some television. Not that there was really anything good on. At the moment, there was something… Star Wars related. In that it had Jar Jar Binks and Boba Fett doing something… odd. And by odd, we mean them precariously balancing on unicycles atop a high wire under some big tent, while they tried to knock each other off with what looked like big Q-Tips from that old American Gladiators show.

Given that Boba Fett had more combat experience, it was no surprise when he eventually got the upper hand. He brought one end of his… weapon until Jar Jar's clumsy blow and knocked the Gungan off his unicycle. He managed to grab onto the wire, but just as Boba Fett would've run over the Gungan's fingers with his unicycle, Jar Jar's tongue shot out, wrapping around the wheel's spokes. With one twist of his neck, Jar Jar yanked the unicycle right out from under the bounty hunter, and he plummeted down below.

And guess what was down below? Yep, Jar Jar Binks got to witness Sarlacc Pit Swan Dive #5 or whatever for the infamous bounty hunter.

Tremaine turned the television off in disgust. "Heaven help us all if those Star Wars fools get welcomed into our 'family', too…"

Thankfully, Lucifer squeezed his way through the vent up behind her bed at just that moment, and hopefully he had some good news for her. Tremaine took note that Lucifer was rubbing his eye a lot, and he had an overall disgruntled vibe. But at the moment, Tremaine was impatiently awaiting results. "So, Lucifer, did the Blob get our little 'present' at just the right time?" Lucifer took another moment to nurse his eye, but then looked up at his mistress and nodded with a naughty grin. "Lovely," Tremaine drawled as she smiled herself.

Doubtless her stepdaughter anticipated that she would have Lucifer contaminate her cooking. A delusion that Tremaine sought to foster by having Lucifer venture into that kitchen to supposedly do so as a blind. But oh no, such an obviously ploy was not for her. While Cinderella must have done everything possible to protect her food from being sabotaged, Tremaine had other plans. No, some of Deadpool's plastic explosives were the key, not gunpowder from his ammunition. While those mice would've been watching the perimeter, Lucifer was waiting under that serving counter. Waiting to plant the explosives under whatever basin Blob chose, but refrain from setting them off until Cinderella opened that envelope with the grenade pins, thus making Blob think that SHE had tried to blow his face off.

"But I do wonder, did I go too far, sending that fat oaf after my poor stepdaughter?" Tremaine wondered aloud.

As she posed this question to Lucifer, a scream could be heard out in the hallway. A continuous scream that was getting closer. Eventually, Cinderella zoomed past the open door in her wheelchair, and if Tremaine had been looking there, she would've caught a glimpse of her stepdaughter doing some hand gesture censored by a Mickey Mouse symbol. And as she sped away, still screaming, moments later the Blob lumbered by with surprising swiftness, still hellbent on wringing that princess's neck. His stomps done to propel him down the hall made little tremors that took some time to fade away.

"On the contrary, my stepdaughter did seem intent on building bridges with those mutants," said Tremaine smoothly. "I do think this is an opportunity for Cinderella," she added with a sly grin, a grin that Lucifer was happy to mirror.