.
(A/N: Little tidbit for you. I've canonized Hirotaka as the Yamanouchi graduate piloting the helicopter that came to pick up Yori and Sensei at the end of Gorilla Fist. One of the graduates constantly helping them through the whole of that episode in fact.
The long flashback in this chapter may be improved or reworked again sometime in the future, as I'm not so sure how good it is, but we'll see.)
Dangerous
"Drakken's base should not be much farther," Fukushima stated, reading the GPS and narrowing down Kim's coordinates based on the Kimmunicator watch.
"I hope they are still all right," Yori solemnly replied. When they had realized where Kim's GPS signal was leading them, they'd feared the worst. "Do you believe that Team Drakken is behind this?" she asked.
"We will find out soon enough," Hirotaka, piloting the small plane, replied as the island in question came into sight. "Buckle in. We are coming in for a stealth landing." Fukushima and Yori did as they were told, and quietly, undetected, Hirotaka landed the plane.
Silently the three ninjas climbed out and melted into the shadows. Yori pointed out Hench's jet to the two boys, frowning curiously. They looked over at it and were equally as puzzled. The three exchanged looks, then nodded in silent agreement. Quickly the trio made their way to the private jet and found their way inside. They scoured it carefully and, once satisfied no one was being held inside, exited and snuck onto the roof of the base.
The three dropped quietly through a window, landing inside. Some of Drakken's henchmen were nearby, but didn't seem to notice them. In fact, they were hardly moving at all. They exchanged puzzled looks but didn't question it, just pressed onward. The trio scoured the halls for traps. Fukushima soon put up his hand and pointed at a trip wire ahead. Others were present as well. Wallhopping would be their safest bet, so they did so.
Reaching the end of the corridor, they listened carefully and heard voices coming from a room up ahead. Quietly they made their way toward said room and paused outside the main doors. Yori raised her hand, showing three fingers. One at a time she lowered them. As soon as the last one was down, the trio kicked open the doors and leapt inside, each posed in a ninja stance. "Drakken-san, release our friends!" Yori ordered.
They gasped in surprise right after, though, upon seeing the villains and heroes all gathered around a dining table enjoying cookies and tea!
"What in the world?" Fukushima said, removing his hood along with Hirotaka and Yori. They could hardly believe their eyes! Jack Hench stood at the head of the table looking smug. Smugness, though, became surprise at the sight of the three ninjas. As the trio gaped at the table in shock, Jack quickly recovered from his surprise and grinned right away. "Yori, Hirotaka, Fukushima, welcome! Come on in. Take a seat. Have a snack! You three like you could really go for a nice, hot, steaming cup of tea. We also happen to have the most mouth-watering cookies on offer here. Only the best for our fellow survivors! Running from zombie hoards can really work up an appetite," Jack said, entering smooth-talker mode again.
"Please shut up," Will begged, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.
The ninjas were amazed at what they were seeing. "Yori, Hiro, Fuku, you're okay!" Kim exclaimed. Noting their confusion, she frowned a bit curiously and looked around. She grimaced a little. "It's a long story," she wryly added.
Jack quietly summed up the three ninjas. His eyes landed on the one whose hair was tied back. The boy he, DNAmy, and Gemini had seen tortured... Inwardly he shuddered. At least he didn't look the worse for wear right now. Good to know he'd more or less recovered physically.
"But-but this... What?" Fukushima asked, eyes wide as he stared at Hench. This marked the third time he had personally seen the man. The second time had been an encounter he would have liked to forget given he'd been among the followers of the one who had tortured him. Knowing the truth about what had happened and why Hench hadn't struck him made him feel marginally more... assured in his presence, though.
Yori shook her head, snapping out of her shock, and said, "Stoppable-san, we believed you and Kim had been kidnapped!" she exclaimed. "Is it not Evil Incorporated who is behind this infestation?"
"No. That would like, totally be Gemini and Dr. Director's faults," Camille said, shooting an ugly look at the two.
"It was our agents, not us!" the twins protested instantly, frowning.
"On your orders!" Monique argued.
"Hirotaka!" Amelia exclaimed in relief, racing across the room in a blur and throwing herself into his arms. He gasped, staggering back but catching her, then lit up and grinned in pleasant surprise before wrapping his arms around her and swinging her around.
"You might as well all sit down. It's gonna be a long story," Monique said, looking at Fukushima whose eyes were still fixed on Hench. Hench, though, was looking anywhere else just to try and make the kid feel more at ease. As soon as the ninjas had seated themselves, they were filled in on the goings-on and filled in the others in turn about what had happened with Sensei.
KP
"Sensei's gone?" Ron asked in shock when the ninjas had told their story, numbly gazing at his cookies and tea. He could hardly process what he'd heard. Rufus began to wail. Kim placed a comforting hand on her BF's shoulder.
Hana was cooing and gurgling up at Hirotaka and Yori. She began to laugh as Yori tickled her. "I am afraid so," the ninja girl confirmed sadly, though she smiled down at her sibling to try and mask it from Hana.
"Oh man, who next?" Josh asked, rubbing the back of his head as he shook it in dismay.
"More importantly, who's still out there?" Ned replied, looking out the window.
It was silent for a moment as everyone considered this question. Finally, Will broke that silence by looking at Fukushima, "So, you're a traitor then," he said in a horrible attempt to make conversation.
Fukushima started and glared at him, eyes narrowing. "I assume you think little of traitors if that is all you took from our story," Fukushima challenged.
"I was merely asking!" Will replied, instantly defensive. He hadn't been looking to cause a fight. Apparently the ninja wasn't seeing it that way, though.
"Yes, I was a traitor, and from what I have been able to tell, you are a spoiled brat," Fukushima sneered at Will, eyes narrowed.
"Fukushima!" Yori chastised sharply.
"If he wants a challenge, so be it. I accept," Will said, eyes locked angrily on Fukushima now. Suddenly he shot off his stun watch. Fukushima nimbly dodged and the watch struck Hirotaka instead. Hirotaka shouted in alarm before stiffening up and dropping to the ground, paralyzed.
"What did you do to him?!" Fukushima demanded, gaping at Hirotaka in shock. Yori blinked blankly down at her brother.
"Stun watch. Halts anyone who comes within one meter of my person," Will answered.
"Fine! Fine. You have earned your challenge, entitled one!" Fukushima angrily said, jumping up. Will leapt back, falling into a fighting stance. Fukushima hand-sprang backward and grabbed up a broom nearby, wielding it like a bo staff, then dropped into a ninja stance scowling.
"Great. Two of the same personalities clashing. Just what we needed right now," Monique said, hopelessly rolling her eyes and throwing up her hands.
"Um, guys, we have a problem," Ned suddenly and nervously said from his position by the window. The others looked curiously over at him. Drakken approached and peered out. He gasped, paling. "My henchmen!" he exclaimed.
"Let me guess. Zombified?" Kim wryly asked.
"Given how lazy they are, how would you even be able to tell?" Shego dryly said, rolling her eyes.
"Nrrgh, Shego!" Drakken replied. "This is serious!"
The rest of them crossed to the window as Hirotaka was recovering from his stun, and peered out. "Oh no. They're coming for us!" Felix exclaimed.
"Oh my. I didn't think it had gotten so bad," Mama Lipsky, who Drakken had refused to keep in the dark any longer and who was now caught up on the goings-on sans a few details, said worriedly.
"We have to get out of here, quick," Falsetto urgently said, eyes narrowed. "Before they beat us to Hench's jet!"
"Right. Nobody panic!" Shego said. There was a moment of silence before Drakken promptly broke down with Ron, the two clinging to each other and becoming almost hysterical. "Oh boy," Shego said, rolling her eyes hopelessly. Their actions had done the damage, though. Suddenly almost everyone without experience in stuff like this was on edge and starting to panic.
"No, everyone, we must keep calm!" Hirotaka insisted to those who weren't so composed.
"Guys, we can't afford to do this now! We have to make an emergency evac!" Kim backed.
"No good, cupcake. They're beyond help," Shego said when no one calmed down.
"Shego, Shego, ye of such little faith," Hench said. She frowned at him. Sometimes the man burned her to no end. He had no right to be so calm right now! Hench, placing two fingers in his mouth, blew a shrill whistle. The group stopped, looking desperately at him hoping for direction. Or anything, for that matter. "Into the jet. Single file youngest to oldest. I'll take up the tail end regardless." Though to be fair, he probably was the oldest one present. Rivaled only by Drew and not counting Mama Lipsky of course. Immediately they obeyed and began hurrying towards the plane. No sooner had the last of them entered the jet when the zombie henchmen burst out onto the roof, screaming, roaring, and running towards them. Jack looked back at them, eyes narrowed, and shut the door quickly.
"We are so out of here," Monique said, sitting next to Hirotaka who had taken the pilot seat. Hirotaka smirked at her and immediately took off.
KP
"So… this jet is… nice," Shego remarked, breaking the long and awkward silence as she looked around at the group of survivors seated inside.
"The best of the best," Hench boasted.
"Of course. How typically you," Will bit.
"And you, Will," Betty said, frowning at him.
"Me? I... he... it... Forget it!" Will stammered, frowning and giving up. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right.
"Consider yourself lucky you at least have a father," Fukushima said, folding his arms crossly.
"What, did yours leave you all alone?" Will bit.
"My father died before I was born, shortly before my mother went into labor. My mother died when I was five, leaving me at Yamanouchi. My guardian abandoned me and when he returned manipulated me and left me to die in the mountains," Fukushima bluntly said.
Will blinked blankly at the ninja and grimaced a bit. "Oh, uh, I, um, s-sorry," he said, unsure what to say to that. There was silence. "For what it's worth, Jack Hench hardly classifies as any kind of father," he grimly threw in.
"At least he is a father who is there," Fukushima replied.
Will shifted a bit. "Look, I'm not claiming the guy is a deadbeat dad, but his presence is only a detriment to anyone around him," he wryly said.
"True, very true," Jack said. Will shot him a disgusted look.
"You always did like the bad boys," Gemini said to his twin, rolling his eyes.
"I did not!" Dr. Director insisted.
"Jeremy Jonson?" Gemini sneered.
"It was a one-time thing!" Dr. Director defended. "You know how well that went!"
"Tell me more about this Jeremy Jonson," Jack said to Gemini, frowning a bit at this.
"Prom night," Gemini flatly replied. Jack started, eyes widening a bit, and scowled.
"It was like two decades ago, Jack! He's hardly worth putting on your hitlist now," Betty said sharply.
"Oh, hit list! This just gets better and better," Will said, throwing his hands into the air in exasperation.
"Oh Willy, your father loves you very, very much," Amy chastised. "You shouldn't be such a meanie to him."
"I'm well aware the man loves me, Dr. Hall," Will replied. "He would crawl on his stomach like a reptile if I wanted him to! Who wants a show?"
Jack was gritting his teeth now, eyes narrowed almost murderously. "William, we need to talk," he sharply said, quickly rising and grabbing his son's arm painfully, yanking him to his feet and rapidly dragging him towards the back of the jet.
"Hey, let me go! Mom!" Will yelled.
Betty rose, worried. Sheldon frowned and pulled her back down. "The boy will never learn if you keep protecting him," he said to his twin. Betty looked ready to protest but then thought the better of it. Instead, she stayed quiet and watched after her husband and son nervously. As true as her brother's words were, though, Jack was one who needed to be watched. If he became angry enough, he was a deadly force to reckon with. She remembered an incident from way back when she was eight months pregnant with Will, and shuddered at the memory…
Flashback
She shouldn't even be at work today. She was on maternity leave for goodness sake! But of course, workaholic that she was, she'd just had to come in and finish up some paperwork she wouldn't be able to get around to for a good long time after the baby was born. She grinned softly at the thought and rubbed her stomach, lovingly looking down at it. It was only a matter of time now. Eight months. Just a little longer. She tapped her tummy thrice and felt the baby kick in response three times. "That's my boy," she praised softly, rubbing gently again. Quietly classical music played in the background, keeping her calm and focused. Hopefully stimulating the baby too, depending on how true that wives' tale about playing classical music while pregnant was.
She felt a pain shoot through her and made a sound of discomfort, holding her stomach. Dammit. At this point, she just wanted the little guy out. This pregnancy was getting old now. Her door was knocked on and she looked exhaustedly up. "Come in," she said.
The door was pushed open and an agent entered. "Dr. Director? There's a woman in the lobby who wants to speak to you personally. She claims it's urgent and refuses to talk to anyone else or be sent away."
"That's strange," Dr. Director said. She rose. "Fine. I'll bite. Lead the way, agent."
"Are you sure you want to deal with it, Dr. Director?" the agent asked, looking incredulously at her.
She frowned in some annoyance at the woman. "I'm pregnant, not useless," she bit. She sighed and her gaze softened a bit. "As long as whatever she wants doesn't involve anything strenuous, I'll be alright. Thank you for your concern, Agent." The agent nodded and led the way. Dr. Director waddled after her and hated that. She wasn't used to being so encumbered. She didn't like it. The last time Jack had poked fun at her for it, he'd almost ended up with a fist to the face. Fortunately for him, she had remarkable self-restraint.
She approached the woman waiting in the receiving room warily. Said woman was being watched closely by wary GJ agents. The woman looked over at her and lit up. "Excuse me, are you Dr. Director?" she asked, hurrying over. She didn't get far before agents intervened, stepping in the way.
"Stand down, agents," Dr. Director said, waving her hand dismissively. They did so. "Yes, I'm Dr. Director. Was there something particular you needed that you couldn't get from any of my agents?"
"Dr. Director, I wanted to speak to you directly because no one else in any other agency would listen to me or even give me the chance to talk to anyone higher up! GJ was my last chance. I couldn't lose it! I wanted to make sure that this time I was heard. That's why I insisted on talking to you," the woman replied.
"Elaborate," Dr. Director replied.
"I live in Lowerton. Down by the docks there's an old abandoned warehouse that no one really ever thought twice about. It's condemned by the city, but they haven't ripped the thing down for years. Over the last few months, though, there's been signs of activity. Lights flashing, sounds of electricity from inside, screams in the night, gunfire... The police investigated once but the officers who went in never came out! The police eventually stopped asking people to check it out and turned a blind eye. It's nothing paranormal, I know it's not, but it's something! I don't know if it's a gang or a cartel or a supervillain just starting up or a supervillain who's decided on a new base of operations... People are disappearing, radio and TV signals are getting messed up, internet is cutting out, no one is reporting anything! GJ is our last chance at figuring this out before something really bad happens," the woman said.
Dr. Director frowned curiously. "Hmm... concerning," she mused. "Very well. I'll send some agents out to investigate. Reconnaissance, nothing invasive. Once they report back with their findings, we'll figure out a way to handle the situation."
"Thank you, Dr. Director. Thank you so much!" the woman said. She left shortly after and Dr. Director sighed and got to work. If it wasn't one thing, it was another...
KP
The ransom note came two days later. Dr. Director glared darkly at it. It demanded an in-person meetup between GJ and whatever party was working out of that warehouse she'd sent her agents off to. They'd been captured. Humph, she should have anticipated this from the start and sent backup just for extra insurance. She made a mental note never to be so nearsighted again. This was a mistake she couldn't afford to repeat. Ever. Her agents were alive, at least this time, but next time they might not be so lucky.
"Dr. Director, what do we do?" one of her people worriedly asked.
"They demanded an in-person meetup, so we'll give them one. No more than five people they say... Very well. Four agents will accompany me. Five more will follow ten minutes behind. Five more will follow them ten minutes after that. That way if something goes wrong, we won't be caught off-guard again. Everyone wears a tracker. Everyone," she said.
"Yes ma'am!" they all responded together.
"Agents, let's get our people back," she said. Ugh, it would figure that something like this happened when she was in her last couple of months. Throwing on a long coat, she exited the building with her people in tow.
KP
She was not at all surprised when things went south, because that seemed just in line with her luck lately. Her captured agents were on their knees with hands behind their heads, handguns pointed at their heads execution style. Her group was going to be next to useless. They wouldn't be able to reach their comrades before those comrades were killed. They wouldn't even have time to whip out guns. "Let's go to your car, Dr. Director. We're going to take a little trip. Just you and us," the woman who had come to them ordered, a dark smirk on her lips. Betty, less than impressed, stayed silent. "Do we need to prompt you?" she asked.
Betty heard one of her captured agents let out a small cry as they were dragged forward, a gun pressed firmly to their head. "Dr. Director, don't!" the agent pled.
"I'll go with you," Betty bitterly and coldly said, arms crossed. If they wanted only her, fine. They'd get only her. She'd figure out a way out of this. She always did. She resisted the urge to place a hand on her belly. It would only draw their attention to her most vulnerable place more than it would already be drawn.
"Dr. Director," her agents began to chime one after another. She raised her hand at them and gave them a look. The trackers were online and they knew it. All they had to do was worry about their fellow agents, wait for the backup to come, and deal with what was happening here. Then they could come after her and get her out, and everything would be just fine. She'd anticipated a trap of some kind and she'd been prepared. They shifted nervously, worried for her, but didn't attempt to protest further. Dr. Director turned, walking towards her car. The woman and no less than twenty of her people holed up in this dump followed.
KP
It was she and the woman who entered her car, along with two others. Both were large men with big guns. The rest of the ones following them got into vans and prepared to follow. Dr. Director started up her car calmly. The woman sat at her side smirking a self-satisfied smirk and aiming a gun at her. She didn't want to risk trying to grab it right now. Not eight months pregnant with two men in the back with weapons ready and raring to go. Maybe she would have been able to pull it off, but that wasn't a risk she was taking now.
She began to drive, pulling out of the warehouse complex, and stayed silent. "I expected better, Dr. Director," the woman mocked. "So much for the best of the best." She rolled her eyes and said nothing. GJ had never claimed to be the best. At least not yet. "Aww... pregnant. So sweet. How many months?" the woman cooed. Dr. Director didn't answer. "How. Many. Months?" the woman asked, pressing the barrel of the gun to her stomach.
Dr. Director's jaw twitched. "Pull that trigger and everyone in this car ends up dead," she replied.
"I can wait until we're stopped," the woman replied.
"Humph... Eight months, if you must know," Dr. Director said, keeping calm and collected. It would be alright. This would all work out. The trackers were online, her agents would follow soon... Everything was under control.
"How precious," the woman said, removing the gun. "Now, how many trackers are on your person, I wonder? Oh, never mind. It won't matter. They were all shot the moment you pulled into our warehouse complex."
Dr. Director glanced sharply over at her, eyes narrowed a bit, then focused on the road again. Okay, so that was a problem. They would work it out somehow, though. They always did. Nonetheless, a prickling of uncertainty began to creep up her spine. She told herself that when the trackers went offline, the others would have been alerted. It would have been all hands on deck. They would find her.
How could they find her when they didn't know where to look...?
She shoved that uncertainty down, cheek twitching ever so slightly. Keep calm, keep composed. It would all be okay...
HenchCo
"Aviarius, glad you approve… No, no, no, my friend… Oh, it was no trouble. Only the most valued of my customers get this discount. You, birdman, are one of the few ever to earn one percent off… Yes, you certainly did outwit me," Jack replied into the phone, but his eyes were glittering in delight. What a sap. He didn't even realize he'd been suckered. "Yes, you have fun now… Yes, of course. Goodbye," Jack finished. He hung up and chuckled to himself, leaning casually back in his chair and putting his feet on his desk.
The sale had been perfect. The villain had walked right into his web. He'd let Aviarius believe that he'd been the one leading HenchCo around in a circle. Unlikely. "Good sale, sir?" his short, portly, and bespectacled marketing consultant asked.
"Mr. Foggman, do you really have to ask?" Hench questioned. "Wonder what sorry sap Aviarius hit with that doomsday device." Just then he heard a large explosion coming from a science lab somewhere downtown. Jack looked out the window, blinking blankly. He smiled and shook his head. How utterly predictable. The phone rang seconds later.
Jack looked at the call display, Aviarius. He picked up. "Ooh, sorry, no refunds. I told you to read the manual before operating. Policy states, in so many words, that HenchCo can't be held accountable for any damages done to machine or person if the instructions aren't read by the client prior to use. Don't say I didn't warn you." Before Aviarius could lose it, Jack hung up on him and chuckled. He frowned when a phone rang again. He picked it up. "Aviarius, I've said my piece. You don't like it? Take it up with my many, many lawyers." The man on the other end cursed him out. He just rolled his eyes and hung up on him again. "Just to make sure he doesn't get through a third time, I think I'm going to drop a quick call to my wife. Marcus, if you wouldn't mind?" Jack said.
"Yes sir," Foggman replied, standing up and leaving to give the man some privacy. Jack smirked and dialed his wife's number.
KP
She had driven ten minutes before her car phone rang. Her eyes darted to it briefly. The woman frowned and gave her an accusing look. "Answer it, but put it on speaker. Just so we can be sure you don't try anything cute," said woman ordered.
Dr. Director did so. "Hello?" she asked.
"Hi hon. How goes things?" her husband's familiar voice said. She closed her eyes and drew a slow breath, willing herself not to lose her composure. No matter how relieved she felt to hear him.
"It goes," she replied.
"You really shouldn't be stressing yourself like this you know," he said. "Call the day early. I will if you will. We can spend the afternoon together. Break away from the stress for a bit."
Betty was quiet. "I can't right now, sweetie," she finally said. "Something's come up I can't ignore."
"You're eight months pregnant, Betty. You're not the only competent agent in your organization," Jack replied.
"I uh, I can't get out of this one Jack. I'm sorry," she replied. Maybe if she could slip his name in... If these people recognized it, it could save her. There were benefits to having a husband in such a controversial position with as many connections as he had.
"Fine, fine. Just promise me tomorrow is mine and I'll let you go," he replied.
She inwardly panicked. She really, really didn't want him to let her go. "Mmm. Tomorrow night I'm all yours. Chains and all," she said.
There was a beat of utter silence. Even the eyes of the woman with her widened in shock. The men in the back began snickering wickedly and muttering darkly to each other. "I'm sorry, what?" Jack finally asked.
She smirked to herself. He knew exactly what she thought about things like that, and it wasn't much. That she would suggest something like it now would be setting off alarm bells. "Mmm hmm. You know what they do for me."
"The kidnapping game?" he asked, tone subtly darker than before.
She could have cheered. "Yeah. I really can't get out of this tonight, love, but tomorrow it should be resolved and I'll be in your arms," she said.
"Yes. Yes you will. And we'll be talking about your late-term pregnancy work habits, Betty," he said, sounding mildly annoyed and put out. She grimaced a bit. She hated to admit he was right, but he was. She shouldn't have been at work at all so far into this pregnancy. The strain and stress couldn't be good for the baby.
"Jack Hench, are you really so worried about little old me?" she asked, dropping the name. She heard the woman and the men in her car catch their breath and inwardly smirked. They knew the name.
"Clearly I have a reason to be," he somewhat testily replied.
"Patience, love, or no fun for you tomorrow," she said, frowning a bit.
"I'll take the lump," he replied. "I'm meeting up with you tonight, Betty. Whatever you're doing, get out of it and be at our spot when I get there."
A euphemism for 'be alive when I get there', she wondered? She'd assume that was what he meant. "I can't promise that, Jack," she solemnly answered.
There was a beat. "I'm coming for you," he finally and coldly said.
She smiled a little. "I know, baby, I know," she replied, though she doubted it was her he was speaking to. Her smile slowly fell. "I'm on a field mission right now. If-if something goes-goes wrong..." she began, voice breaking.
"Dammit, Betty, I was fine with the office work, but a field mission? Really? At eight flipping months?!" he freaked, outright shouting now. She heard the fear tinging his voice.
"If something goes wrong on this mission, if something happens, it wasn't your fault," she said. She needed him to know. "Please, please don't blame yourself. Please. There was nothing you could have done. It was my screw-up, not yours! I shouldn't have... I never should have been at work." She sniffed, closing her eyes briefly but opening them quickly once again to focus on the road. She felt tears burning them. "I love you. I love you so, so much. The baby is kicking, Jack. I feel him kicking. He's so ready to come."
"Oh gods, don't do this to me, Betty, don't do this to me," he pled.
"I will do all in my power to protect your son," she swore.
"Our son, sweetie. Ours," he replied, voice gentler. "If anything happens to you on this mission, I will come for you, and whoever took you will pay more dearly than they can imagine. I won't lose you."
She noticed the woman shift ever so slightly, intently focused on this conversation now. "If you come too late and something has happened to me, please understand that it wasn't your fault," Dr. Director pled.
"I'm coming for you," he said, tone dark and determined. Again, it wasn't just to her he spoke.
"No one's touched me yet, love," she replied.
"Drop my name if they try. If they're any kind of smart, they won't attempt it again," he said. "Of course, they won't try again anyway after I catch them," he replied.
The woman suddenly snatched the phone from Dr. Director and slammed it down before glaring murderous daggers at Betty. "You're going to regret this." she darkly said.
"I figured you should at least know what you were getting into by taking me," Dr. Director calmly replied. Tell me, why are you so scared of Jack Hench? He's just a businessman with a lot of connections. Or is he?" The woman scowled, but this time it was her turn to keep quiet.
KP
Jack stared darkly at the phone that had been slammed down on him, then hung up and paged Foggman. "Yes sir?" the man asked.
"Ready a jet and set a course for Global Justice," Jack ordered.
Foggman was a little taken aback at this. Usually when Mr. Hench prepped to head to GJ, it was because he was about to play informant and turn in a client that had backstabbed or attempted to cheat him. This, though, seemed different. "Yes sir. Right away," Foggman replied. He hung up and hurried to do his boss's bidding.
Jack looked darkly back at the phone, frowning, and considered trying to call again before figuring that might be taking too big of a chance. He wasn't risking his wife and child more than necessary in this. He needed information. He needed coordinates. He needed to know where to start looking. GJ would give him whatever he asked for if it meant finding Dr. Director or any other missing agent and bringing them back safe. It was a sort of mutual understanding they'd developed between one another since they'd reached their shaky truce in the wake of Betty telling GJ about her baby surprise and assuring them she had him on a leash. Of course, his appearing unannounced to back her, practically walking himself to an execution in the process for her sake, had won him a lot of brownie points. What could he say? He could persuade a lion not to make a meal of him. They'd developed treaty terms, in a sense, and oh he would be using them to his advantage now.
KP
Betty watched silently and grimly, arms bound behind her back, as the car burned in a ditch, some stolen body from a morgue or medical college fastened into the front seat to replace her, and she guessed in theory postpone or stop the search. They'd been planning this for a long, long time, she grimly realized. She had no idea who these people were or what GJ had done to tick them off, her in particular, but they clearly meant business. They walked her about ten minutes down the ditch before dragging her back up to the road and putting her in a separate car. A hood was pulled down over her head so she couldn't see where they were going, and a picture was snapped of her. She could only imagine why. Maybe some form of psychological torture for her husband or her people should they not give up the search? Would this crew really be that cocky, she wondered? Did they really think they could outplay both Global Justice and Jack Hench? Well, their funeral she supposed. Hers too if help didn't come soon enough though.
And the baby's...
She inwardly shuddered at that thought and swallowed nervously. She set about trying to squirm out of the ropes, but was having no luck. They'd tied her in a way the usual tricks wouldn't work, so they were at least semi-professional. Hit squad? Personal vendetta? Mercenaries? Why her specifically? A million questions and no answers. Hopefully she would be able to find some of those answers before this was done.
KP
Jack stood outside the warehouse grim-faced, watching as GJ cleaned up the mess that had been made when bullets inevitably started flying. GJ had been mostly unscathed. The moment the two backup groups had lost the signal of the first, they'd merged and converged on this dump in time to help the primary group fight off the gang grunts who'd gotten it into their brilliant heads to betray GJ and drop some bodies just out of spite. Needless to say, GJ came out on top. No casualties. Unfortunately, that meant no answers from any of the grunts, so he'd been less than impressed. On the plus side, GJ had wasted no time telling him what they knew. That the leader, a woman, had taken Dr. Director and a bunch of the gang grunts, got into no less than four separate cars not counting Dr. Director's, and had driven off.
He had a trace on his wife's car, she had a trace on his. Mutual agreement. He knew where she'd been when he'd called her because the moment he'd detected something was off, he'd checked. He could guestimate the route the convoy had taken to get there, but he needed to know where she was now. The signal had suddenly died. That wasn't a good sign. If he tapped into some camera feeds from various stores and streetlights, though, he might be able to piece together where they had gone, assuming they were still in town, or where they might have gone, assuming they'd left it. He called up Foggman, walking away from the sorry scene and slipping into his car.
"Marcus, I need your scientists to do me a favor. Can you access Lowerton's security feeds? ...Uh huh... uh huh... Good. Do it. Once you find my wife's car, keep it in sight on the feeds as best you can until you lose her. Let me know where you do... Someone took her, Marcus, and you know me. I couldn't just sit still and let it happen... She's eight months pregnant, Marcus! I'm not leaving this to GJ! Or anyone, for that matter. I'm taking it into my own hands... Oh, she'll never know what happened to them after the fact, and I'll never know the details. Just the simple yes or no... Yeah, get the answers about my wife's whereabouts within an hour or two... You're a good man, Marcus. The best. Thank you. I wouldn't be half the man I am today without you... Okay, maybe half... Yeah. Bye." He hung up and started driving to where he'd last known his wife was. The odds weren't great he'd pick up any sort of clue there, but he could ask around about a convoy he supposed. Who knew? Maybe word of mouth would win the day.
KP
The switch cracked through the air and she caught her breath sharply as it struck her bare back and left a welt. By now her back was probably decorated by those welts. She hung suspended from the ceiling by her arms, a gag shoved into her mouth and toes barely touching the ground. Another picture was snapped and she blinked a few times at the blinding light before glaring darkly at the photographer. The woman. She and her people were just begging for death at this point, she knew. Another sharp crack of the switch against her bare backside and she gasped a bit, looking sharply back at the one torturing her. He was clearly immensely enjoying it. She focused attention on the smirking woman again. It was her that Dr. Director was most leery of. The woman held up a hand, an order for the man to pause and leave them alone. He did so.
Letting the camera dangle, the woman approached her, pulled out her gag, and placed a hand on her belly. A surge of protection shot through Dr. Director, and if her ankles hadn't been chained to the ground, she would have kicked the woman so hard she wouldn't have gotten up again. "Eight months, hmm?" the woman said. "Boy or girl?" Dr. Director scoffed. As if she was telling these people anything about her baby. "We can always cut you open and find out," the woman more darkly said. Dr. Director's jaw twitched, but she chose to stay quiet. "You know, there are ways to induce labor prematurely." Her breathing sped up ever so slightly, but she remained calm. "Maybe I should take it from you. Keep it for myself. Hold its daddy hostage with it. Money for the rest of my life to keep the little one safe I'll bet."
"Jack. Hench. Think about it for a hot minute," she replied evenly. The woman glared coldly. "Why are you doing this?" Betty finally pressed.
The woman smirked a dark little smirk. "Because of what you did for Hench," she replied. Betty, at first confused, wracked her brain for an answer, not quite understanding what the woman meant. As she did, though, her eyes slowly widened in realization and understanding. "There you go," the woman said. She turned her back and started walking away. "You should have let your husband hoist himself on his own petard. Instead, you just had to play the Dame and ride to your King's rescue," she said, waving as she left. "We'll do more photo shoots later. After the boys have worked you thoroughly over. I mean torture of course, Dr. Director." Dr. Director glared darkly after her. Their funeral, she thought to herself.
KP
Jack stared silently at the smoldering car in the ditch and the burned and bound body inside, lips pressed tightly together and eyes glittering in wrath. His arms were crossed as he waited calmly and patiently for his people and GJ to confirm whether it was... was hers...
Oh gods, please don't be hers...
There was probably no way for them to tell right here and now for certain, but they would be able to let him know if the body was female and if the person had been pregnant. Foggmann stood at his side looking worriedly up at him. "Female!" a voice called. Jack let out a shaking breath.
"Sir?" Foggmann asked in concern. He didn't respond.
"Five months!" a voice echoed shortly after, a cross between relieved and devastated.
Jack turned on his heel and made swiftly for his car, getting inside and starting it up. "Sir?!" Foggmann called.
"Find out who the woman is! If she isn't a donation to some medical school or a stolen cadaver from a morgue, contact her husband," Jack ordered.
"Family, sir. There may not be a husband or boyfriend," Foggmann said. Jack gave him a look and the man winced a bit. "Of course sir," he covered.
Jack harrumphed and continued to drive down the road searching for signs of his wife and her captors, eyes darker than ever. If the body in the car was supposed to throw him off, it had failed. If it was supposed to be a threat, so help them all. He considered his options and attempted to get a signal from her tracker once more. It wasn't often that a HenchCo product failed if used correctly, and his trackers had failsafes. Maybe they would be down for a while, but not for good.
Divines help them if they took her from him...
KP
She cried out in pain as a final blow was delivered to her that left her on her knees on the ground. All that kept her from collapsing to it was the man holding her up by the hair. Another picture snapped. To say the photoshoot had been macabre would be putting it lightly. "There we go. I'm sure that's more than enough," the woman, smirking the whole time, said. "Although... No. Send these out to him as is. Let him know more may be coming."
They could not be that stupid.
Dr. Director looked slowly and darkly up at her, struggling to breathe through broken ribs. She screamed in pain as she was kicked in the back and sent to the ground, landing on them. Inwardly she cursed, body shaking in pain. They'd struck everywhere but at her most vulnerable spot, and there were two reasons for that. One was out of general fear and respect for Jack Hench. The other was because the woman had yet to decide how to handle the baby situation.
Said woman laughed cruelly and approached, pulling out a large knife. "Pull her up," she ordered. One of the men seized her hair and pulled her up to her knees again. She hissed in pain. The woman knelt in front of her and held the blade against her stomach. She swallowed nervously. "Eight months. It would be a real shame, you know. To carry the baby full term only to lose it. Or see it dashed against a wall and killed before your eyes. Or have it kidnapped after watching mommy's murder." She said nothing. She could threaten this woman, she could warn her off, but it wouldn't save either of them now, she sensed. Her eyes narrowed at the woman. Jack would come, and if he came too late, he would wreak vengeance on everyone here in retaliation for the loss of his wife and unborn child. There would be no more reason for him to pretend to be something he wasn't. It would be his end of the line, she knew. Unless the baby was kept alive...
"You will regret this," she whispered. Somehow the knowledge that she would be avenged soothed her. Even despite the pain she was suffering now.
The woman placed the knife to her throat. "Count yourself lucky we don't rip the child from your womb," she growled. The scowl she wore became a smirk soon after, though. "I have another way to get it out." She withdrew a needle from a pocket and Dr. Director's eyes widened a bit in alarm. Before she could even speak, the woman suddenly jabbed the syringe into her neck and emptied the contents into her bloodstream.
No. No, no, no, it was still too soon. It was too soon!
Babies had survived more prematurely, right?
Yeah, with the help of a hospital! Oh dammit, dammit, dammit!"
"Congratulations, Dr. Director. You're going to be a mommy. For about five seconds," the woman said.
Dr. Director lunged against the men holding her back and almost broke free, but even if she'd wrenched away from them, it wasn't like she would have been able to do more. Not with her arms tied behind her back. Then again, the body as a whole was a pretty potent weapon.
This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening! Not the baby! Please, please not the baby!
KP
Jack Hench glared murderously at the email a terrified and shaky-voiced Foggmann had informed him about. He flicked through the pictures, expression becoming darker and darker with each one that passed. He ground his teeth and scowled dangerously. A slight tremor that came in sporadic bursts was all that betrayed just how furious he really was. It was on now. He began to scan the pictures again with an eagle eye, focusing on any environmental clue he could possibly pick up on. Pipes. Vents. Industrial equipment. Soot. Smoke, reddish lighting like... like fire. Something to do with fire or something else very, very hot. Smelter? His eyes widened. Smelter. There was a smelting facility further south. In this direction! It was a cover business for an affiliate organization of his Uncle's! An affiliate organization that had rubbed the man the wrong way, and fortunately for his Uncle, him as well. It was the first time they'd been on the same page about something in goodness knew how long now.
Gang politics, hired allies, a little informing to GJ, a completely predictable betrayal on his Uncle's part, a kidnapping... Betty had come to his rescue. She was the only reason he was still alive right now. There had been bloodshed, because of course the crew wouldn't go down easy. It was led by a boyfriend-girlfriend team. The boyfriend had gone down in a blaze of gunfire along with half their people. His girlfriend had escaped with the other half. Dammit! He should have seen this coming. Well, now that he'd pieced it together, it was time to rectify the mistake he'd made in agreeing to leave her and her people be at Betty's prompting. Grabbing up his car phone, he called his aide.
"Foggmann, I think she's at the smelter. You know the one. You know what to do," Jack said.
"Your name stays out of it, you see no evil, you hear no evil, and you know no evil," Foggman replied. "You are completely ignorant."
Jack smirked. "With luck. Good man," he replied before hanging up.
I'm coming, sweetheart...
KP
She cried out in pain and gasped for breath. The contractions were coming nonstop. They were so close together. In horror, she realized she was going into labor. She inwardly cursed. This couldn't happen, oh this couldn't happen. Please, please not now. Not now! One of the men violently hit her again. It would have sent her to the ground had she not been held up between two more.
She gazed hatefully up at her attackers, eyes glittering like fires. "You'll regret this," she hissed. Suddenly she screamed in pain. Oh gods. Oh gods, her water broke! No, no, no. Again she screamed as she felt a surge of pain shoot through her. The baby was coming! She groaned in anguish and felt the urge to push. It wasn't just coming, it was coming fast!
"Get her on the ground," the woman ordered in delight. They did so, laying her down and hovering almost predatorily, waiting for the infant to arrive. When it did, she knew that one of two things would happen. Either they would tear the child from its umbilical cord effectively killing them both, and probably starting with the baby so she could watch, or they would take it hostage to use against its father and either kill her or leave her to die.
They only needed one of them to chain Jack...
She threw back her head, screaming again with tears of pain flowing from her eyes. It was coming fast, and it was coming with a vengeance she had in no way been prepared for. Her pain was immense. She sobbed in agony, then screamed as she felt another urge to push and did so. This was not how it was supposed to happen! It wasn't how this was supposed to happen! Was something wrong? Why was she in so much pain? Why couldn't she feel it moving? Was that just part of this? Was she supposed to not feel it moving?
"Jack!" she screamed in desperation. She wanted him here. He was supposed to be here!
KP
Jack glared coldly at the smelter guarded by members of the gang he'd narrowed this down to. He had been here for ten minutes waiting for backup. He wasn't waiting any longer. He had the only things he needed to infiltrate this place on his person. Gritting his teeth, he drove towards the compound. All eyes immediately turned to his very expensive vehicle which, no doubt, was giving plenty of hints as to who was approaching them. He saw them bristle and parked. They took aim with various weapons.
He stepped out of his vehicle, hands up. "I'm here to talk," he called out to them. "Just to talk." Unless they posed a problem of course. They of course did, unleashing a hail of gunfire at him. He'd been ready for that though, and before they made contact a forcefield went up around him, generated from his watch, disintegrating the bullets before they made contact. Jack sighed heavily. Why had he expected anything else? "Fine. Fine. If that's how you want to play it, then..." All of a sudden gunfire rained down from all around them, striking the gang members and bringing them down. Jack smirked darkly. Right on cue. He marched rapidly towards the building, eyes narrowed in determination. He saw a grenade bounce across the ground near the door and explode, blowing it open. Jack kept walking, unfazed. What could he say? He trained his people well. He checked his side for a prototype pulse pistol that would in theory be nonlethal. The last thing he needed was the risk of criminal charges hanging over his head. If he could incapacitate them, great. If not, well, he'd do whatever was necessary to get his wife and child back safe. He heard his people fall into line behind him.
KP
When the gunfire went off and the explosion shortly after rang out, all eyes turned towards the door in alarm. Only seconds later it was thrown open revealing a solitary figure who promptly stormed toward them with no explanation or hesitation. "Who are you?" the woman asked in shock.
As he stepped into the red light of the smelter, her eyes widened in horror. He smirked coldly. "Just a businessman," he replied. He snapped his fingers, and without warning a wave of henchmen charged in with battle cries, throwing themselves at the gang members without hesitation. They focused on incapacitation, not death, but they like him would do what they needed to, to come out on top.
"I warned you," Betty said to the woman through painful gasps. Another wave of pain struck and she screamed through clenched teeth, trying to brace against it. "Jack!" she cried. "Jack, he's coming, the baby is coming! Jack!"
Jack stormed towards his incapacitated wife. She was in labor? The baby was coming? It was too early for it to come! It was only eight months! Had they induced her somehow? Had they hurt it? Was the child still alive? His eyes betrayed a flash of fear and worry before he hardened them viciously and set his jaw, looking his wife's kidnapper directly in the eye. Fear grew within him more and more with every internal question he asked himself. Stillbirth? Miscarriage? His men cleared his path easily. Whether the gang members died or not in the process, he really didn't care.
"Get her up to the smelter!" the woman ordered the two men hovering over his love. He put on a burst of speed, racing to the platform they had his wife on and stopping just short of it as they grabbed her up and put a gun to her head. "Enough!" the woman ordered. All combatants looked over, saw the compromising position of the woman in question, glared at their opponents, then let them go, waiting on Hench's order.
"What, exactly, do you plan to do here?" Jack questioned the woman dangerously, eyes narrowed at her.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" the woman replied, beckoning for her people to come and stand at her side. They obeyed.
"Hmm... How about this? I'm going to offer you a deal that you won't be able to refuse," Jack said. "You call down your men, let the leader of GJ go, and leave now never to return and all that clichéd stuff there. Or you don't and I make sure you regret it for the rest of your lives. However long, or short, those may be. Life or regret. You have three seconds to decide. "One, two..." Suddenly the woman whipped out a gun and fired at him.
"Jack!" Betty screamed. Mouths dropped all around when the bullet disintegrated against the force field that sprang up from his watch. The gang was struck speechless. The only sound that could be heard anymore was Dr. Director's labored and painful breathing.
Jack soon sighed a long, disappointed-sounding sigh. "So be it. Don't say I didn't warn you," he said to them
"Mr. Hench, you took my chance at a family. Forgive me if I take yours now," the woman darkly replied. "Shoot her. We'll rip the baby out of her womb."
Before she'd even finished speaking, two loud bangs rang out and the two men holding Dr. Director dropped to the ground. The woman gasped, looking back at them, then to Jack with eyes wide. He held what looked like a strange sort of gun and smiled coldly. She stayed completely still, stunned. "Don't worry. Tranquilizers of course," he said, tucking the gun away. Not that his methods would remain 'tame', so to speak, for long. Needless to say, there would be numerous people disappearing in the upcoming days if he had his way. "What can I say? I told you I would come for you."
Dr. Director suddenly cried out in pain as a contraction struck hard. "Jack!" she sobbed, wrapping an arm around her stomach. "Jack, he's too early. He's too early!" He forgot about the woman and went immediately to his wife. His people would take care of the gang members. She cried out again, doubling over. He dropped next to her and she leaned back in his arms, panting for breath and trying her best to recall the breathing exercises she'd learned in maternity classes. "Oh gods!" she cried in pain. "You did this to me!"
He winced a bit, grimacing. Oh had he ever. "Breathe, love, breathe. My people are calling an ambulance. We'll call your mom, your brother, whoever you want to be there. You'll be okay, I promise. The baby will be okay," he said. Despite his words, though, inside he was terrified. "Easy honey," he soothed, squeezing her hand tight.
"I was so afraid you wouldn't come in time," she said.
He kissed her adoringly and nuzzled her nose. "When I make a promise, I keep it," he said. She laughed a little, but the laugh turned into an agonized scream as another pulse of pain shot through her. "Jack. Jack, I can't feel him moving. Is that bad? Is he okay?"
"It's fine," Jack replied, though honestly he had no clue. He just wanted her to be calm and okay. "You're okay, baby. You're okay," he whispered. "GJ will come through for you as always."
"You-you already have," she panted. "If we don't make it, it wasn't your fault." He paled, body stiffening like a statue and grip on her tightening.
"You'll make it. You'll be okay. I'm right here," he said.
"Jack, Jack it hurts. It hurts so much," she said. She screamed in pain and sobbed again, then responded to her body's desire to push, bracing her legs against a metal railing. Jack quickly slid off his coat, covering her with it to spare her some modesty. "I hate this," she sobbed. "Oh gods I hate being so helpless."
"You're okay. Push and breathe, push and breathe. Squeeze my hand as hard as you need to. I'm right here," he promised. Oh gods, please, please, please let them make it! Please let them make it!
"I love you," she gasped. "I love you."
"I love you too, sweetie, I love you too," he replied.
End Flashback
She nearly hadn't survived that delivery, she recalled. It had almost killed Jack, to be so helpless in the whole affair. She'd ended up hemorrhaging, Will had come out blue with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck... She was pretty sure they'd taken about twenty years off Jack's life with that nightmare. He had completely freaked when he realized the baby wasn't breathing and that she was bleeding more than she had any right to be. Whatever composure he'd had was stripped away like it had never existed, and he'd entered total meltdown and panic mode. Fortunately for him, Gemini arrived before the ambulance did. Gemini who had some pretty serious first-aid training. He'd known how to save Will. Jack had been on the verge of a nervous breakdown before her brother told him the infant was breathing and stable again. He hadn't known exactly how to help her, but darned if he didn't try. He'd handed the baby to Jack and set to work trying to stabilize Dr. Director, but fortunately for them, the paramedics arrived and took over the process for her brother.
It had been another grueling few hours before they had finally been able to tell Jack that she would make it as well. She was fairly certain Gemini had nearly fainted from relief. Archenemy or not, he was still her brother. In the following days as GJ looked into the situation, the general consensus among the criminal underworld and GJ informants was that the gang had never existed at all, and they never resurface again afterward. It was never confirmed, but she knew that had everything to do with her husband...
Yes, Jack could be a dangerous and violent man when provoked, and she very much feared what would happen if Will finally got too rebellious for him to take. If Will was right about anything, it was the words with which he described his father. Treacherous, insidious, vindictive, manipulative, wily, dangerous...
"The man couldn't hurt William if his life depended on it," Sheldon assured his twin, sensing her rising anxiety. Betty looked quickly at him, eyes wide. "You know that," Gemini continued. She relaxed a little, but not much. Nervously she looked towards the section of the jet her husband and son were in. Gods, she hoped her brother was right...