Disclaimer: Ed, Edd N Eddy and all its characters are copyright AKA Cartoon

Disclaimer: Ed, Edd N Eddy and all its characters are copyright AKA Cartoon. I am not using them for profit; I am simply using them to practice my own writing skills….

Author: This is the second-to-last chapter featuring Double D! Actually, this chapter focuses more on Nazz then Double D, but details, details… Let's find out what Nazz has to say. Oh, by the way, Happy (Very Very Late) New Year! Wow, it's actually April Fools Day now... Hm, this story is 3 years old! (No joking) Wow…. From now on, I'm officially a 'sporadic updater'.

Oh, by the way… transitions are marked with "…".

Chapter Eighteen- Toxin D

"Oh! You're here early ma'am," the head of the daycare center said brightly. "I thought you were coming at 7:45. It's only six!"

Nazz gave a forced, airy smile. "Oh, something was rescheduled," she said. "Stephanie!"

"I have to warn you, Nazz, ma'am," the head of the daycare whispered, "Stephanie snuck out again. She was gone for awhile this time…"

"Not again," Nazz sighed.

Stephanie slowly walked up to her mom. "Hi, mommy… I'm tired," she said with a yawn. She reached out and held her mother's hand.

The two silently walked out of the daycare center. "Have you been sneaking out again, young lady?" Nazz said with playful scorn.

The child looked around nervously. Apparently, all the scientists were working on some sort of project, for the hall was abandoned. She dropped the tired child act and pulled her hand away from Nazz's. "Has daddy been planning on destroying the world again?!"

"What?" Nazz froze. Had she heard her right?

Tears filled Stephanie's eyes. "You and daddy always go into that secret passageway and plot bad things! I heard that you guys were going to destroy the world! Why, mommy, why?"

"Wait!" Nazz sunk down to one knee, looking her daughter in the eye. "Have you been following us? How…"

"I didn't want to go to the nursery last week," Stephanie sobbed over her tears. "So I followed you guys and saw the passageway and snuck down behind you…"

Double D was right. Someone was following us. Nazz stared into space, her eyes glazed over. This wasn't how she planned on telling Stephanie about the mission. She was hoping that they'd get onto the rocket ship, and then Stephanie would start asking questions. Then she'd explain carefully that they were going on a trip….

"Why, mommy?"

A man strolled into the hall. Nazz leapt up and grabbed Stephanie's hand. She practically dragged the sobbing child into the secret passageway.

As they entered the secret meeting room, Nazz saw that Eddward was walking about, talking casually with some of the security guards. She stopped the next person who happened to walk in her direction. This person was Doctor Mizuuki.

"What's wrong, Second-in-Command?" Mizuuki asked. He smiled when he saw Stephanie, but Stephanie pouted and looked away. "Is Stephanie okay?"

Nazz ignored him. "Why was Double D- I mean, Sir Eddward released?"

"Double D?" Mizuuki frowned. He'd never heard anyone call Eddward that before. "Why would you call him Doub-"

"That's NOT important," Nazz said sharply. "Eddward is an endangerment to the mission right now. He is suffering amnesia, remember? He wants to save these foolish people!"

Stephanie gasped. Mizuuki smiled nonchalantly and said, "Oh, he's changed."

"What?" Stephanie and Nazz asked simultaneously, though their tones of voice were completely opposite of each other.

"Is daddy good or bad now?" Stephanie asked. Nazz instinctively corrected her; "Sir Eddward." She was ignored.

"I know it sounds a bit odd, but he's reformed," Mizuuki smiled cheerfully. "He thought about it and decided that the mission was valid. You should have heard the rant he gave; I honestly thought he was going to go out and kill everybody right now. He doesn't remember his past, but he's discovered enough to hate humanity."

Nazz's eyes narrowed. It didn't add up… it was doubtful that Eddward's childhood self would agree with the mission, and because of the amnesia, he was his childhood self. Also, this change was way too quick. Mission Destruction wasn't decided overnight; it was decided after many months of planning… many tiring months of dealing with the world's cruelty… and many gruesome months looking for any alternative. It took Eddward years to agree to Mission Destruction. In fact, just two years previously he would have found the idea nuts.

And now he was claiming he had changed his morals in fifteen minutes.

Stephanie, however, believed every word. "NO!"

At the sound of the cry, Double D turned around, dismissing some subordinates with a wave of his hand. He marched to the trio. "Stephanie, what's wrong?"

"I thought you'd changed," Stephanie cried, "at the meeting today. I saw you yelling and they took you away! Then he said you were good but you became bad again!"

"Wait, you were the one that was following us?" Double D frowned.

Stephanie nodded, but didn't look at him. Nazz held the girl, and whispered to Double D, "She's known for the last week. She's been to all of the recent meetings…."

Almost sadness. Double D could almost hear sadness in Nazz's voice. However, his own mind was filled with so much despair that he could have been imagining it. It seemed so long ago that Fay had offered Eddy a chance to become a billionaire… a distant dream. It felt like he'd been waiting for years, ever since he walked into this room, for the person that was following them in the hallway to come stop the crazy mission.

He was so sure when he'd heard those footsteps that someone was spying on them. The government, perhaps, or a group of sane scientists… at the very least, a member of the group, such as Kevin. (Who, come to think of it, he still hadn't seen.) Well, someone had been spying on them. A little girl… a little girl who couldn't stop them at all.

I can't let this stop me. I've got to keep up this act…. It surprised him, actually, how good he was at the evil-scientist-eager-to-destroy-the-earth bit. I've got to follow the plan.

The next hours went by in a flash. Double D gave instructions, directed others, and watched with wide-eyed interest as the rocket ship emerged from the pit. He directed others into the rocket, watching as Rolf, Johnny and Jimmy entered the ship. Then the Vice President. Then Nazz, who was holding a half-asleep Stephanie on her shoulders.

Finally, the NASA member- "Number Four"- told him he should enter the ship, too. Double D nodded. He took a seat next to Nazz, who glared at him suspiciously. "What are you planning, Double D?"

Stephanie had fallen asleep, Double D noticed, though she seemed to be having strong nightmares. "Mission Destruction," Double D said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It's great that we've come this far. From this point on, it's smooth sailing. We'll wait for three days before we administer the Toxin."

"What if the people of the Earth have changed? What if they're doing fine without us?" Nazz said, glaring suspiciously at Eddward.

Eddward shrugged. He seemed at completely at ease…. Is he acting… or what? "Doing fine without us? Hm, I suppose we should define 'fine'. Not starting World War 3, perhaps?"

A voice suddenly emerged over the intercom system. "Everyone, we've made it this far! Nothing will stop us know!"

"Number 22… Mizuuki… is the pilot?" Eddward asked cynically.

He was very good at acting. It bugged Nazz…. She stared at him, as if though it would make him reveal he was lying…. However, she was snapped out of her trance at the countdown.

"5…4…3…2…. 1!!"

The days on the space shuttle passed by quickly. Eddward convinced everyone (except for Nazz) that he agreed with Mission Destruction. They even allowed him to act as commander. When Nazz questioned this, one of the many he had tricked- Jimmy- replied, "Well, he WAS the commander before the got amnesia. Now he's on our side. Even though he can't remember all, it is his RIGHT to be commander."

His act was convincing. A couple of times, Nazz fell for it herself. However, that mindset never lasted for long. It seemed every time she walked down a hall- abandoned, usually, because others were at a meeting, or were sleeping- she'd see Eddward and Stephanie whispering conspiringly.

"What are you two PLANNING?" Nazz yelled on the third day, about the fiftieth time she saw this.

Stephanie and Eddward jumped. If Double D were back to normal, nothing would surprise him. He wouldn't jump out of shock.

Eddward started to give his usual explanation- some junk on helping Stephanie mentally, keeping her spirits up, blahblahblah- but Nazz simply glared at him.

"You're lying. I can tell, Eddward. And I will prove it to everyone else. You haven't changed. You're not on the side of the Mission."

Her threatening tone was ignored; Eddward simply looked at his watch. "Oh! It's time for me to start preparing for our next meeting. Nazz, the meeting is in an hour."

"It is?" Nazz scoffed. "I don't remember a meeting. What is this so-called meeting's topic?"

Eddward looked at her as if though she had grown a beard. "Er… Nazz, it's the meeting where we check up on the Earth. You know. The meeting everyone has been waiting for these last three days?"

She stared blankly at him. Sarcasm? If he were back to normal he wouldn't use sarcasm so blatantly. But he was right. In her paranoia, she had forgotten about the important meeting. "Right. I'll get ready, sir."

And with that awkward, formal farewell, she turned around and walked away. With each step, she walked faster until she was running, running, running… Although she was far away from Eddward and Stephanie, she kept running, for she knew they were following her.

She only stopped when that voice filled the air.

"What are you doing here?"

That voice. It was cold, inhuman… and she knew who it belonged to. How had she gotten to this part of the ship? It was off limits, only where he and (the few that dared to look at him) roamed.

Slowly, she turned around. "Hello… Kevin."

The creature stared at her. "You do know the meeting is in ten minutes, right?"

"Oh." Had she been running that long? "I suppose I'd better go to the meeting… then." She started to turn around.

"Why are you here?"

Again, she froze. "Because I know that Eddward would not follow me here. I don't think he's on our side. I think he's going to betray us." Wait… was that really why I came here? Hadn't it been an accident that I ended up in this place?

It was impossible to read Kevin's emotions, though that was mostly because…

Nazz shuddered.

"The meeting is in five minutes," he said.

So she turned around and ran as fast as she could. It was rude, but she couldn't stand to be there any longer. She'd rather be with her traitorous husband.

….

Everyone's here. Except for Kevin, thank goodness, Nazz thought. Her husband sat next to her, coldly observing the room. His cool demeanor might have tricked most people, but most people didn't know him as well as she did. He was acting, and she could tell.

Maybe I'm paranoid.

The thought disturbed her, and she quickly rebutted it: I'm not. I know the truth. Double D is against us!

I sound paranoid.

She didn't have a chance to finish her internal argument; Number Four- the NASA scientist- stood up and began his presentation. He began with a boring introduction- yeah Mission Destruction, we've got satellites all around the world, NASA hasn't found them yet, blah blah blah- it lasted about ten minutes.

Then he got to the interesting part of the speech.

"So," he squawked, "has humanity redeemed itself? Has it gone on well without us? The short answer… No."

A television screen pulled down. "Perhaps the media can explain it more… eloquently… then I can."

A series of television newscasts (some with translations appearing at the bottom) from around the world popped up successively:

"Over forty famous scientists- and the vice president- have disappeared! Is China to blame? That's what the government says!" a woman with a Californian accent cried.

In a Chinese report, "Forty-eight famous citizens of the world have been kidnapped by Europe!"

"Where have the scientists gone? A new governmental investigation suggests terrorists have taken them to the Middle East," said a European report.

"Wow," someone commented. "All these countries were allies before."

Nazz turned to look at Eddward. His face was pallidly. She knew it! He wasn't part of the mission after all!

The next reports apparently came from the next day.

"Doctors and scientists are going on strike, worldwide," came a Japanese report. "They claim that unless the forty-eight return, they cannot do their work properly. They demand that whoever took them return them. Only ten percent of the world's scientist and doctors are still working."

"The world's becoming more chaotic by the day, Sam!" one American reporter yelled to another. "The murder rates have risen another twenty-five percent- now it's up by 40 percent!"

"It was less then 2 percent, world wide, before," someone observed. "I can't believe we've had such an impact. Humanity is so stupid."

Eddward was trembling. Nazz scowled as the next reports- the ones from yesterday- popped up.

"Is World War 3 coming?"

"California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada are breaking off from the United States and declaring war!"

"World War 3 seems to be approaching."

"Any signs of peace today? No, actually, it seems that World War 3 is upon us! Every country has declared that if the scientists aren't returned, they will declare war."

"De ja vu! For the first time in ten years, religious groups are fighting against each other! With guns, I mean, GUNS! And bombs! This hasn't been seen since Sir Eddward confirmed-"

"Is World War 3 about to start?"

"World War 3-"

"- World War 3!"

In every language, in every country, the news reporters predicted a next world war. Number Four turned the video off. "All these countries have nuclear technology. Given the situation, they probably will use it; this will make the planet uninhabitable."

Nazz stared in Eddward's direction again. He had stopped trembling, and his face had returned to its normal color. His expression was one of subtle distaste; when he stood, Nazz wondered, for a split second, if she had imagined the doubt and the weakness. Of course I didn't imagine it.

"So, shall we vote?" Eddward said in a icy tone that made Nazz shiver. "All in favor of applying Toxin D, raise your hand."

Everyone, including Nazz, raised their hands. Eddward nodded. "Then it has been decided. Meeting adjourned."

As was policy, Eddward walked out the door first. Everyone lined up to follow him, but Nazz yelled out, "Stop!"

Eddward had already left the room, and didn't hear her. Everyone else did, however. "I'm calling an emergency meeting."

There was a mumble of shock. "Should I get First-in-Command?" the vice president asked.

Nazz shook her head. "No. Keep this a secret from him. Please sit down."

Everyone stopped mumbling, and sat down, though they still looked confused.

And Nazz began the most important meeting of them all…