.
Puppeteer
"Listen here you little… I am sick and tired of hearing your insults! Every word I say, anything anyone says about me, you swoop in like a starving vulture!" Jack snapped.
Will, standing against a wall, glared off to the side angrily. He couldn't care less about what Jack was sick of, honestly. "Deal with it," he retorted rebelliously, not bothering to look at the man.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you, young man!" Jack ordered, turning his head roughly.
"Get your hands off of me!" Will barked, shoving his father away.
"Whether you like it or not, we're both living through this Hades, and neither of us is going anywhere anytime soon!" Jack shot.
"You should have been bitten instead of Uncle Gemini!" Will yelled. Jack backhanded him before he could even think and before Will could even react. The moment Jack realized what he'd just done, though, he caught his breath and paled, horrified by his own actions.
Will, covering his cheek, looked up at his father stunned. Shock and hurt were written across his face, and his eyes were blown wide open. Sure he'd expected a retaliation given the way he'd been baiting the man, but he hadn't expected this. Words yes, threats yes, manhandling yes, but-but a physical strike?! "Y-you hit me," he said numbly, totally in shock. Jack was quiet. "I-I could have you arrested for assault!" Will yelled.
"Better you learn the lesson from me than from anyone else," Jack darkly and coldly replied, regaining his composure and crossing his arms. "Goodness knows your mother could never have brought herself to teach you it."
"L-learn a lesson?!" Will demanded in outrage. "You stupid..."
"Don't test me!" Jack snapped. Will's eyes widened in slight fear and he went immediately silent. "Now, are you going to work with me or not? Actually, better question. Do you really think you can afford a battle with your old man on top of this zombie war we're already in?" Will was a smart boy, he knew, the kid just didn't like to admit when he had been bested.
Will glared furiously up at his father. Wordlessly he shoved passed him and walked back into the main body of the plane, nursing a now-red cheek. Jack watched after him guiltily, then followed.
KP
As Will entered the main section of the plane, Betty spotted the red mark on his cheek and gasped, paling a little. Jack had struck him? But-but he'd never struck Will before! The others on the plane looked stunned as well, even the villains.
"You hit him?!" Ron demanded of Jack. The businessman felt his stress levels skyrocket and scoffed, staring to restlessly pace as he tried to come to grips with what he'd done.
Why had he done that? Why?
"Backhanded," Will bitterly corrected Ron.
"Like there's a difference?!" Ron demanded.
"There is. A backhand is worse," Will flatly said.
"Jack..." Betty said, still hardly able to comprehend what she was seeing.
"Better he learn his lesson from me than learn it at gunpoint kneeling on a bridge!" Jack outright shouted, turning sharply on her and pointing at their son. Betty caught her breath, paling. Immediately she understood what Jack was referencing and what he was saying.
"At gunpoint on a bridge?! What are you even talking about?!" Will demanded.
"Jack..." Dr. Director began, standing up.
"It wasn't you who was going to teach him, Betty, and I certainly wasn't about to let it be my...!" Jack began before stopping himself abruptly and drawing a deep, calming breath, trying to get control of himself again. "Let it be someone else," he finished in a calmer, quieter tone. Betty was pale, the unspoken word hanging heavy in the air.
Will, confused now, looked from his mother to his father questioningly. Why did he feel they knew something he didn't? "You had no right to..." he began, attempting to retaliate against his father.
"William, enough!" Betty sharply cut off, eyes not leaving her husband. Will looked at her in disbelief, eyes wide. What the absolute he...ck?! In an attempt to win sympathy, he started to play his injury up a little. "Enough with the dramatics, Agent Du," Betty warned her son, startling the young man. He was being manipulative and she wouldn't stand for it. He got it from his father, she knew. Will looked to Gemini for support. Gemini was deliberately burying his nose in a book, refusing to allow himself to become putty in his nephew's hands this time. If he couldn't see the boy, he wouldn't fall for his little games. Will harrumphed and sat, pouting.
"I always said a good spanking solves all your problems," Mama Lipsky said, casually knitting with a smile on her face.
"And look where it got Eddie," Drakken bit, jerking a thumb at Motor Ed who had Adrena Lynn seated on his lap.
"Hey! Seriously cuz?" Ed demanded.
"Look, where are we even going?" Will demanded.
"Well, Duffy's island can only be reached by air," Amy said.
"True. We could hole up with Killigan I suppose. His castle would be perfect to set up a base in," Drakken said.
"We can stop there for a rest and restock, but his castle isn't decked out for all the sciency stuff we'll need to do," Amy said.
"Hello? Senior Island, remember?" Bonnie asked.
"Nrrgh, very well. Then Senior Island it shall be! But first a stopover in Scotland," Drakken said.
"It will be a welcome respite," Hirotaka said from the pilot's seat, setting a course for Killigan's Island. The others sat back to try and enjoy the fight, but the tension in the air between Jack Hench and Will Du was palpable and incredibly uncomfortable.
"You know what? I think I'm going to go make a call. There's someone I want to check up on," Jack said, standing up at last and leaving the area so as to give them all a break from the awkwardness. It was a welcome relief for everyone. Except for Will, that was, who just stared quietly and despondently at the ground, inklings of guilt starting to creep up on him once more.
KP
Hench shut the door to the adjacent compartment behind him and leaned back against it, shoving the heels of his palms into his eyes. Why him? Sighing in frustration, he pulled out his phone and stared quietly and worriedly at one of the top five numbers there. He hesitated a moment then selected it and held the phone to his ear, pacing nervously.
One ring. Two. Three...
He felt his throat tighten a little.
Four. Five...
"Come on, pick up," he pled in a whisper.
Six...
"Mr. Hench sir! A pleasure to hear from you," a blessedly familiar voice said over the speaker.
"Hank? You're okay?" Jack asked, tone a little stressed.
"Never better, sir! Oh, I uh, I know that you said you were sending me here to prep it for vacation season but was that the real reason, Mr. Hench?" Hank asked.
"You needed a break, Hank, and it wasn't as if you were going to take one willingly," Jack replied, smiling a little.
"I know sir, but I'm improving! Don't you worry, Mr. Hench. I'll stay here the entire week if you want me to! Sometimes I just need a little prompting," Hank replied.
Jack chuckled a bit, but his smile soon fell. "You're alone there?" he asked.
"Yes sir. Just me," Hank replied.
"You have food? Water?" Jack asked.
"Um, yes? Everything, Mr. Hench. No staff, no visitors, just me and the beautiful beach and ocean!" Hank said.
Jack nodded, though he knew Hank couldn't see. "You... you might have to stay there a little longer, Hank. There's... Something's happened. To the mainland. To the world? Some sort of biohazard was leaked somewhere in Middleton and happened to cause something of a zombie apocalypse, so if you're there and you're not infected, your best option is to stay put until I give the all-clear, understood?"
There was a beat. "Is... this a joke I don't understand?" Hank asked.
"Hank, I really, really wish it was," Jack replied. "Just... just stay there, son, okay? Can you do that for me?"
"Um, o-okay? Sir, should I be worried about you?" Hank asked.
"I'll be fine, Hank. We have this under control," Jack replied. They most definitely did not have this under control, but it would be under control! He was confident of that!
"If you say so, sir. Is-is your family okay?" Hank asked, sounding concerned.
"Fine, Hank. We're all fine. We need you to be too though. I can't guarantee we can get there to pick you up, but if you're alone, that island is the safest place for you right now," Jack replied.
"Yes sir," Hank replied. "Will you call me? Daily? Just so I know you're all still alright?"
"For as long as the phone battery holds out, kiddo. Promise," Jack replied.
There was silence. "Are you sure you're okay, sir?" Hank asked quietly.
Jack's smile fell slowly. "It's... tense," he replied.
"You and Will?" Hank asked sympathetically.
"We're not going to go there. Just... just take care of yourself, Hank," Jack said.
"You too sir. Please... please be careful. All of you," Hank said.
"We will," Jack promised before reluctantly hanging up. Goodness knew Hank wasn't going to at this point. Groaning, he massaged his temples and took a few deep, calming breaths. Calm, cool, collected. They could get through this. Everything would be just fine...
"Jack, something's come up. We're detouring," Gemini said, shoving open the door urgently. Jack drew a deep, slow breath through his nose, closing his eyes. Ugh, he felt a headache coming on. Turning around, he glared at Gemini with eyes narrowed. "Give me a painkiller," he flatly said. Gemini blinked.
Middleton
The passengers all gathered around Kim and her Kimmunicator watch. "Kim, Kim!" Wade was calling.
"Wade, can you hear me?" Kim urgently and hopefully said.
"You're okay!" he exclaimed.
"Where are you?" Kim asked.
"With Barkin in the wing of Middleton High that's still standing!" Wade answered. "When the infection broke out and overtook Middleton, Barkin sent out a broadcast to any survivors to gather at the school. Only I showed up. We thought you were gone!"
"Wade, stay calm. We'll find a way to get to you two," Kim assured.
"Better hurry. Barkin's kind of starting to scare me, and the defenses won't hold up forever," Wade said. "I..." He hesitated a moment. "I'm scared, Kim," he quietly confessed.
"Don't worry. We're coming for you ASAP," Kim promised before hanging up. She turned to the others. "We have to get back to the high school."
"I have already changed course. We are approaching Middleton High," Hirotaka said from the cockpit.
"You rock, Hiro," Kim said in relief.
Gemini grunted and went into the cockpit as well, sitting in the seat next to Hirotaka to act as co-pilot. Hirotaka wouldn't refuse his aid, that was for sure. "Landing gear deployed," Gemini said. Hirotaka nodded and carefully began to descend. They saw 'zombies' milling around the building trying to pry their way inside.
"It may not be safe to land," Hirotaka noted.
"The jet possesses a hover feature, but I wouldn't suggest we all leave it and rely on that," Gemini replied. "You and I can remain here. So can most of the others. A small group can go down and get this 'Mr. Barkin' and Kim's little friend Wade."
"Oh my. This is a nightmare," Dr. Renton said, nervously looking down at the masses of zombies clambering all over the school.
"Infiltration team's gonna need a lot of cover fire," Shego said.
"You, Drakken, Gemini, and whoever else can wield a firearm," Jack replied.
"Fair enough. So then who's going down?" Shego asked.
"Ron and I will," Kim said.
"Kim-san, you will allow me to accompany you?" Yori asked.
"Sure thing, Yori," Kim replied, smiling at her.
"Let me go!" Felix said.
"Felix!" his mother said in horror.
"Mom, I'll be okay," Felix said.
"You're not going down there without me!" Mrs. Renton insisted.
"Mom...!" Felix began to protest.
"Absolutely not!" Mrs. Renton said. "Sweetheart, I know you're capable, but I'm not letting my son go into a zombie hoard without me being right there in case something goes wrong! Besides, your wheelchair has been acting up."
"You don't have any experience with things like this, mom!" Felix replied.
"Son, where do you think you got your resilience from?" his mother asked. Felix started and blinked at her in surprise.
"I'll accompany you. Extra insurance that Dr. Renton escapes unscathed," Will said.
"Give me a firearm and I'll hold my own," she said.
"I'm going anyway," Will replied determinedly.
"Will, stay on the plane. Let me go," Dr. Director said.
"Or how about neither of you go?" Jack said, visibly unimpressed with this discussion.
"I'm going!" Will insisted. "It'll get me away from you, old man." Jack glared coldly at him, arms crossed, but didn't bother protesting again because he knew full well it would do no good. Bitterly he shook his head at his son. Dr. Director was anxiously wringing her hands together. "I'll be fine," Will said, turning to his mother.
"Very well, Agent Du," Dr. Director defeatedly said. She couldn't shelter him forever, she knew. It was just so hard to start letting go... Will nodded.
"Ready everyone?" Kim asked.
"As we'll ever be," Dr. Renton replied.
"I'm ready for anything, Miss Possible," Will said like his answer should have been obvious.
"Right. Let's get this nightmare over with," Felix said. Immediately the six leaped, or in Felix and Dr. Renton's case flew, from the plane and landed on the roof. Immediately the zombie hoard began converging only to be met by Shego's plasma, Drakken's flowers, Gemini's missiles, and the cover fire from everyone else who could wield a firearm. The infiltration team raced for the door to the stairwell and raced into it without a second thought.
KP
Kim, Ron, Yori, and Will slid down the railing at an alarming rate. Felix and his mother flew down, keeping up. Kim leapt off at the bottom, kicking open the emergency door and landing in the hallway. Ron, of course, landed on his face, but he'd done so many times before.
"Stoppable-san, are you alright?" Yori asked in concern.
"I'm good," Ron replied, giving a thumbs up from the ground. Will scoffed, rolling his eyes, and pulled Ron to his feet.
"Solid face plant dude," Felix teased, nudging Ron. Ron frowned a bit, pride a little stung, but ate it, so to speak.
"Wade?! Mr. Barkin?!" Kim called. They listened. No answered. "Wade! Mr. Barkin!" Kim called louder.
"Kim!" Wade exclaimed, racing out of the auditorium. Kim and Ron grinned and ran towards him. The others followed.
"Wade, you're okay!" Ron exclaimed as he and Kim embraced their young friend. "Wait, where's Mr. B?"
"Would you believe in a trench?" Wade asked.
"Ooh, he's snapping again," Ron said, recalling the time he and Barkin had been trapped in a crate from Smarty Mart.
"Again?" Dr. Renton asked.
"Shell-shocked veteran," Kim said, shrugging. "When he enters crisis mode I guess he just kind of loses himself?"
"He grows a full beard in a couple of hours!" Ron blurted. Mrs. Renton stared blankly at the boy. "It's true!" Ron said.
"He's not wrong," Kim said dryly.
"Hmm, if he's in crisis mode then, that could be a concern. With luck he'll be fine as soon as we get him somewhere safe," Dr. Renton said. "We should hurry. It doesn't seem like the barricades in here will hold for long."
"He did his best with what we had," Wade said, shrugging hopelessly. "To the guy's credit, he made sure we were safe before losing it. Come on. Follow me." He led them into the auditorium and they stopped dead in their tracks, gaping at the sight. Barkin was hunkered down in the bottom behind a line of sandbags, and yes, he was in a trench.
"Are these your American-style defensive tactics?" Yori asked.
"It depends on the battlefield," Will replied. "Does he seriously think he's fighting a war?"
"I mean, technically he's not wrong. It's just, y'know, a war against zombies instead of people?" Felix said.
Dr. Renton cautiously moved towards the man. "Mr. Barkin?" she asked. She'd met him a few times during PTA meetings, but hadn't really spoken to him much beyond that. He'd always seemed cordial enough.
"Barkin's log, 0024. It seems we've found some survivors. Are they friend or foe? Here to save us or finish us?" Barkin said into a rubber chicken that he must have thought was a recorder of some kind.
"Ooh boy," Kim said.
"Um, Mr. B? Remember me? Ron Stoppable? We're here to rescue you," Ron cautiously said.
"In his defense, he's been a pillar of strength for me. He saved our lives and kept me from freaking out. When I talked him into taking a nap, though, he suddenly woke up from some kind of nightmare and became, well, this," Wade said. "I've been on my own ever since."
"He'll be fine as soon as we get him to a place he feels secure," Dr. Renton said.
"Yeah, but how are we gonna convince him to come out from, well, the trenches?" Wade asked.
"Give me a moment. I'll work on him," Dr. Renton said. "Um, Mr. Barkin? Steve? It's me, Dr. Renton. You know, Felix's mother?" Barkin watched her warily. "There's a, um, a pickup! Outside on the roof. We've come to fly you out."
"Why on earth would they send in a civilian? Has everyone gone mad?!" Barkin demanded.
"I'm a consultant! That they needed. Who knew the area and how to find you," Mrs. Renton said. It was probably best to play into his current reality until things were a bit more stable. "Come on. We're getting you out of here." She offered her hand to him with a smile. He eyed it warily up before looking suspiciously at her once again. She kept the smile on her face and the hand extended. After a moment, he tentatively took it and let her help him up.
"Fine. But if this is some sort of enemy trick...!" All at once the doors to the auditorium flew open and a wave of infected raced in screaming! Dr. Renton spun around with a cry of fear, covering her mouth with eyes wide. "Sweet mother of Pearl, they've broken the defenses!" Barkin exclaimed in terror.
Yori, eyes narrowing, drew her Tessan. "Quick, everyone behind me! I've got this!" Ron said, stepping up and summoning his powers. "I may not be Monkey Fist, but I'm the closest we have!"
"Ron!" Kim exclaimed in dismay. "I'll be fine, KP, just get Barkin and the others out!" Immediately he surged forward, bowling over the infected. Dr. Renton seized a stunned Mr. Barkin's hand and pulled him quickly behind her in a run for safety. The others surrounded them, fending off any of the hoards that managed to get by Ron. Ron quickly finished a couple of passes, then joined them, holding the rear and disposing of anything that got too close.
The team raced up the stairs and came to a stop. "Come on Hirotaka, don't let us down," Kim willed, waving her arms at the jet which had traveled a little distance away, doubtless to scout a bit. Almost immediately the jet returned and began to descend. Shego and Betty leapt out, Shego blasting plasma and Betty shooting bullets. Amy threw out a Buddy Ball, summoning a mutant. The mutant instantly began knocking the zombies back in droves. Motor Ed reached down his hand, grabbing Mr. Barkin's arm and hauling him on board.
"Quick, everyone inside!" Dr. Director ordered. Felix flew up to the jet with his mother. Yori followed next, then Ron grabbed Kim and flew her inside. DNAmy returned her Cuddle Baby to its ball and Shego took the cue to get out of there, jumping back inside. Dr. Director and Will jumped up for the jet last. Dr. Director clambered inside just fine, but suddenly the jet pitched as a wave of infected threw themselves against it! Will shouted in alarm, losing his grip and starting to fall out. Jack lunged without hesitation, grabbing his son's arm and hauling him quickly inside before shutting the door. The jet lifted higher into the air immediately and quickly they took off, making once more for Scotland.
Will lay on the ground gaping at his father in shock. Jack brushed himself casually off with a harrumph then looked towards his son in some concern. Will couldn't think of words to say. Jack didn't see the point in trying. At least not right now while tensions were still so high. Shaking his head at his son, he returned to his seat.
KP
It would be a multi-hour flight, but fortunately, Hench's jet was extremely luxurious with more than enough space to keep everyone entertained. Wade and Barkin, having finally recovered from their ordeal, listened to the stories they were being told. "Wow," Wade said at the end.
Barkin looked around the aircraft. "You call this sissy, namby-pamby machine practical for escaping an apocalypse?" he demanded of Jack.
"Only HenchCo's finest," Jack replied proudly, choosing to ignore Barkin's disdain for his prized aircraft.
"It's a hotel in the air is what it is!" Barkin shot. He blinked in surprise when Dr. Renton approached, offering him tea. He looked up at her, puzzled. She smiled.
"It'll help warm you up and calm your nerves," the woman said.
"I don't need my nerves calmed!" Barkin insisted. He hesitated a bit. "But thank you," he added in a quieter tone, taking the tea.
"You're very welcome," Mrs. Renton said. Barkin harrumphed and sipped at the drink.
"Would you rather be walking, Mr. Barkin?" Betty asked the man as he began to calm down a bit.
Barkin frowned at her in annoyance, then sighed in defeat. She had a point. "Where are we going anyway?" he demanded.
"Scotland to Killigan's Island," DNAmy said, batting her eyes at him a few times flirtily. "Rest, restock, then make our way to Senior Island where we'll hopefully have the equipment to start working on a fix for all of this. Don't you worry Stevie Wevie. We'll make it all better," Amy said, pinching his cheek. He grimaced.
An Hour Later
Each of them had gone off to do their own thing to pass the time. Sort of. Mama Lipsky was with DNAmy, the two women giving each other cooking tips. Hirotaka and Gemini were still manning the cockpit. Betty had asked her husband quietly about a shower. Needless to say, Jack wasted no time pouring on the flirt, so now here they were in a private bathroom fresh out of a shared one. She was currently drying her hair. She smiled when she felt him wrap his arms around her from behind and press himself against her back. "Who did you call earlier?" she murmured. He hesitated and chose not to answer. "Hank?" she pried gently. Jack said nothing. "Is he alright?" she asked in some concern. She'd initially had some misgivings about her husband's new aide, given she knew about his past dealings and partnerships with supervillains, but he'd started to grow on her. He really was a good kid it seemed, he was just... ambitious. And not reserved about working with the wrong side of the law if he saw an opportunity. He was a lot like Jack, she noted to herself. Which was probably why he'd caught her husband's attention.
"He's fine," Jack replied.
She turned around, leaning back against the counter. "Do you want us to pick him up?" she asked.
"No. He's safest right where he is," Jack replied. "Even safer than we are right now."
"Good," she said, nodding. He smiled a bit and bent, kissing her lips tenderly but briefly. She smirked a little, nuzzling his nose, but the smirk soon fell and she leaned back. "Are you okay?" she asked. Jack was quiet, clearly not inclined to answer that. "Jack..." she began.
"I'm coping," he answered.
She nodded. "With the zombies no doubt. They're probably less of a threat to you than your average client. What about Will, though?" she asked.
"Can we not... talk about this right now, Betty?" Jack replied, stress creeping into his voice.
"You can't bottle it all up, love," she said, shaking her head. He was quiet and she sighed. "Fine. I'll let it go. But promise that if you need to talk, you'll come to either me or Gemini."
"If it gets to be more than I can handle, I promise," he replied.
"I'm not so sure you're completely aware of when something is too much for you to handle. At least not when it comes to our son," she replied. He was quiet. She shook her head at him then stood on her toes, dropping a kiss on his cheek before collecting some fresh clothing and changing into it. Jack was still, considering her words.
KP
"Wow. Jack Hench is Will Du's dad," Ron said in disbelief to Kim and the others. Minus Hirotaka and Will, that was. Hirotaka was still in the cockpit. Who knew where Will had disappeared to?
"And Betty Director's husband," Kim added, still amazed by the news. It hadn't even completely sunk in yet, but now that they had time to breathe, it was starting to.
"It wasn't my choice," Will complained, entering the section of the jet they were in looking furious.
"Ooh, is this about your da..." Tara began. He shot her a dagger look, and quickly she corrected herself. "I mean, is this about Jack?"
"We're not talking about Jack," Will replied, sitting and crossing his arms angrily.
Kim hesitated a bit. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"No, Kim! No, I'm not okay!" Will replied. "Ugh, he's just gonna screw us all over."
"What do you mean? He seems to have this all figured out," Josh said.
"Oh, he definitely does. More than you even realize," Will replied.
"Meaning...?" Josh fished.
"Who's leader right now?" Will asked.
"Uh, no one?" Josh replied. "If anyone, it would be Kim. Right? I mean, she has the most experience in stuff like this." Kim smiled at her old crush, flattered. Josh smiled back and winked at her. Ron frowned a bit at the exchange.
"Oh, there's definitely a leader, but that leader isn't Kim. Think very, very carefully about it," Will said. They stared at him in confusion. "No? Does nobody know? Exactly. That's his modus operandi, after all. He makes you feel at ease. He makes you feel like you're in control. He makes you feel like you're all standing on an even playing field and no one is above anyone else, but all the while he's lingering backstage, the puppeteer controlling everything and everyone around him."
"Boy, what are you talkin' about?" Monique asked.
"Whose jet are we in?" Will asked.
"Your dad's, but it was the compromise between Gemini and Falsetto's," Kim said.
"What compromise? He stepped in and he said we're taking this one. No question of compromise, no opportunity to argue," Will said.
"Will, we were on a time limit," Kim reasoned.
"Okay, then try this on for size. Falsetto and Camille about to tear Uncle Gemini apart for his roll in this. Jack steps in, cuts it short, and refocuses their attention," Will said.
"He mediated. So what?" Kim asked.
"Who brought up taking a survivor toll?" Will asked.
"Common sense," Kim replied.
"Who tried to take control on the way to Drakken's lair?" Will asked.
"Your dad. Motor Ed cut it short. Gemini had to butt in to get their attention off one another," Kim replied.
"Gemini didn't speak up for my father's sake," Will said. "Who sat back and watched it devolve into an argument between multiple parties without saying a word? What do you think he was doing? He was summing you all up, each and every one. He was pinpointing the peacekeepers, placing the troublemakers. He was the one who broke it up with a one-word shout! He was the one who told everyone to sit back down. He was the one who put you all in your place again. He was the one who ended the 'battle', so to speak. He led the way into Drakken's lair, he broke up the fight that almost started there, he stopped the panic that broke out when we realized Drakken's henchmen had been infected, he ordered us onto the plane and volunteered to take up the back. Who did Gemini inform when we learned Wade and this 'Mr. Barkin' were in trouble? I'm willing to bet he was even the one who suggested to Hirotaka and Gemini to scout the area while they waited for us to return with them from inside the school! This is what he does! Stays in the background. Lets you believe he's just along for the ride. Advance, fall back, advance a little more, fall back. Two steps forward, one step back. Tug and tow the line until whoever's caught on his hook is too far out of the water for it to matter anymore."
"How do you make that sound so creepy?" Zita asked, eyes wide.
"Because it is creepy!" Will replied. "Look, I know you each probably have your own ideas behind who's the evilest or most dangerous villain out there. Oh, Shego is the greatest, most powerful villain of them all. Oh, Monkey Fist is unsurpassed. Oh, Gemini has got to be the most merciless. Oh, Drakken is like a serpent, playing his talents down and just waiting to strike, so he's the most powerful and cruel."
"Well, um…" Kim began.
"Exactly! And all the while you overlook the answer so obviously in front of you!" Will said.
"Dude, your dad's a businessman. Sure he's a shady one, but I mean, that's all he is," Ron said, shrugging.
"Look, there is more to my father than meets the eye. Things you would never have dreamed of," Will said. Were they really this blind? Ugh, of course they were. Everyone else was, say for a choice few. "Shego and the others are nothing to him. They're just the actors on his stage! No, my father doesn't have powers. No, he doesn't dabble in take-over-the-world schemes. Heck, he doesn't even concern himself with anything outside of his business as an arms dealer specializing in supervillain weaponry! But right there, right there, is the crux of everything. There's a world where heroes do their thing and villains do theirs. It's a universal understanding, right? But how do you think that dynamic can exist? Who supplies the manpower? Who supplies the firepower? Who supplies scheme templates? Who supplies training? Who reaps all the reward?"
"Your dad," Zita realized, eyes wide.
"Exactly! Jack Hench is on another level entirely. There is nothing that can go down in the criminal underworld without his sayso!"
"Will, you're turning this into a conspiracy. Look, I get it. The things he sells and the services he provides make life difficult for people like us, but he doesn't control what his clients ultimately do with it. I'm not saying his business is any kind of good, but as far as anyone's ever been able to tell, it's legit," Kim said.
"That doesn't matter! Ugh, fine. Don't believe me. But mark my words, Kim. Jack Hench is the most insidious and vindictive foe you'll ever meet," Will testily replied
KP
The villains were gathered in the back of the jet with Jack, minus Gemini. All of them sat around a table. Amy had just joined them, bringing some brownies she'd made with Mama Lipsky. Of course, she'd promptly ensured Mama Lipsky fell asleep right after. Combine the right medications into an appropriate dosage, and it could do wonders for sleep. The woman didn't know about Drakken's villainy, or theirs, and they didn't want her to know. In fact, it had been Drakken who asked her to ensure his mother went to sleep.
"We should take out the heroes once and for all. Seriously dudes and dudettes. We'd be golden! Soon as the world went back to normal, boom! It would be all ours," Motor Ed said, taking a brownie and downing it.
"We can't risk that. If we're the only survivors left, we need all the help we can get," Amy replied.
"We can handle it! Most of the scientific geniuses are on our side. You could figure out a fix to this with or without the help of the heroes," Adrena said.
"Any input, Jack?" Falsetto asked, looking over to the man who was sitting apart from them, smirking as he flipped through a magazine.
"None whatsoever. I'm a simple businessman, Mr. Jones. A neutral party! Even ignoring that, my wife and son are firmly on the heroes' side. You don't want my thoughts on this," Jack replied.
"You're right. We don't. We can handle it ourselves," Drakken flat-out said, frowning at the man. He'd never trusted Hench. The mogul was too glib of a talker.
"The heroes outnumber us two to one!" Camille argued. "Come on, Mr. Hench!"
"Neutral party. I'm sorry," Jack repeated, flipping the page without looking up. "But I must say, I'm touched you're attempting to include me in your little schemes, so how about this? I'll give you a question to think about for a while and you come up with your own answer to your little dilemma."
"O-kay?" Shego warily replied, raising an eyebrow. "Shoot."
Jack smirked, a glint in his eyes, and lay down the magazine, leaning forward. "Which one of you wants to go out in the middle of a zombie hoard and administer a cure that may or may not work?" he asked. They all started, staring at him in disbelief. "It has to be administered somehow," Jack added, shrugging. The villains winced a bit. "Here's something else to think about. The world has been taken over, but not by any of you." And it was bad for business, he added silently to himself. He disliked things that were bad for business. "Right now, there are billions of walking infected strolling around with not a care in the world. Do you really want to lower your odds against hoards like that? I mean sure, you may have the ability to find a cure, but do you have the time and numbers to do so while also defending against zombie invasion?"
"I'm pretty sure we can take them on," Shego replied.
"Miss Go… Shego?" Jack asked.
"Shego," Shego replied, suspiciously raising an eyebrow. If he was trying to manipulate her, he had another thing coming. She was more than a match for Jack Hench.
"Shego, you are an intelligent, powerful woman. You're level-headed, you're calm, heck, you could take over the world if you gave it a shot!" Jack said.
"Don't tell her that!" Drakken exclaimed in horror.
Shego frowned at her boss then turned back to Hench, smirking. "Go on," she said. She had to admit, she was liking the flattery. Even if it was for ulterior motives.
"I'll put it bluntly. Despite everything you have going for you, you're naïve in thinking you can fight off the population of the entire Earth," he continued. He dodged dutifully when she immediately blasted at him, but didn't flinch. "Easy, easy! I'm just an observer in all this, remember? How you play it from here is up to you," he said, rising and leaving the room with a wave. The villains glared darkly after him.
KP
"So, Jack Hench thinks he can manipulate us, does he?" Drakken asked as soon as the man was out of earshot. "Well, he hasn't gone toe to toe with you, my dear," he added, turning to Shego. "Let the puppeteer become the puppet!"
Shego smirked. "What do we want from him?" she asked.
"A guarantee of his cooperation once the cure has been developed and we hold the heroes by a string," Drakken said.
"Ooh, elaborate," DNAmy said, leaning forward.
Drakken grinned. "If we're the ones who hold the cure, the heroes are beholden to us. They'll be forced to do whatever we tell them to secure the safety of the world! Once power has been signed over to us, though, we'll need Jack Hench on a string all his own. His firepower and devices will be key to keeping the earth under our control."
"So go after the wife and son," Falsetto said, listening intently to this discussion.
"Exactly," Drakken replied, grinning. "But to pull this off, Hench can't know until too late that he or his family are at risk. So we need to let him think they're safe. Him too. Let him think we're on his side and in line."
"Oh, I can handle that," Shego said, grinning wickedly. She stood and walked out.
"Who are you betting on?" Camille asked Falsetto.
"I prefer to be surprised," he answered simply. Truth be told, though, he knew exactly who he would wager on. He'd put his fortune and life on it.
KP
Hench, bent over a desk doing some paperwork, heard the door to his office on the jet open up. Curious and wary, he looked up. Shego entered without hesitation, walking right up to his desk. "Shego," Hench greeted. Why was she here?
"So, you really think I can take over the world huh?" she remarked.
Jack smiled, relaxing a bit. "Easily," he answered.
"Using your weapons, I suppose," she said.
"Preferably, but my praise wasn't a sales pitch," Jack replied. "Hmm, maybe it should be." He wrote it down on a piece of paper. Shego blinked blankly. He looked up at her. "So, what brings you to my office?"
She sat across from him. "Who's side are you really on, Jack?" she asked.
"My own," he answered without batting an eyelash.
"Your own isn't good enough. You're with us or you're with them," Shego replied.
Jack was silent, tapping his fingers together. A sign of agitation of his that he really needed to get under control She wasn't aware of that, though. His eyes were glittering, but a disarming smile was fixed on his face. He didn't allow himself to snap. He kept his cool. "Is this a threat, Miss Go?" he asked.
"Let's go with that," Shego replied.
"Hmm... What do you want? For real?" Jack asked.
Shego smirked. "Truth be told, they sent me here to manipulate you. Take you down a peg," she replied.
"Typical Drakken," Hench said.
"Dr. D has… ideas," she replied. "Look, I know I can't pull it off, so I'm not even gonna try, but I do want something else."
Jack chuckled. "I'm a married man, Shego, and you're a lovely young woman. While it would certainly be flattering if you actually cared, I'm afraid it wouldn't go anywhere," he teased. He half expected her to blast him. Her eyes lit up along with her hand, but she never let go with an attack. Instead, she let the plasma die down.
"Cute, cute," she said. "No, what I want is someone who can keep their cool when things get, shall we say, 'challenging,'" she replied.
"You want to survive," he said, considering her words.
"Mr. Hench, we all wanna survive," Shego replied. "Only a handful of us will."
"What makes you so sure I'll be one?" he asked.
"You're kidding, right?" she answered, frowning at him. "With the super weapons you pack around?"
"Drakken send you to steal one again?" Hench bitterly asked. He disliked Drakken. Consistently cheap and rarely had money to spend.
"It wouldn't hurt if you spilled the location of one or two of them, but no, he didn't," she answered. "Any chance you will tell me what you have under wraps?"
"Nothing cheap," he answered. "Now, how about we focus on survival and the like?"
"Right, right, right. Here's my proposal. You get your goody-two-shoes wife and kid to rally the heroes into helping us find a cure, and once we have it, we can cure and infect whoever we want. Presto. The world is ours. Well, mine. You'll just have immunity. Along with your wife and son of course. That is, if you still want them. I'm free, after all."
"It certainly does sound like a solid plan," he admitted cautiously, ignoring her flirting.
"See? Play the game by my rules, we'll get along just fine," Shego said. "Are you in or out?"
Jack tossed the idea around then smirked and chuckled. "Very well, let's see where this goes," he answered, taking her outstretched hand. She grinned villainously.
KP
Shego returned to the others. Leaning against the doorframe, she said, "Mission accomplished."
"Clever, making as if you were turning your backs on us. Risky, but clever," Falsetto said, fingers drumming together as he smirked at her. They'd been watching the whole thing in secret on a screen. He more intently than the others. Goodness knew it paid to know Jack so well.
"Spying? Really? Whose idea was that?" Shego asked, annoyed they'd been watching her.
"That would be me," Drakken stated.
"I can't believe you, Dr. D!" she shot at him. "What, now you don't trust me?"
"Oh, I trust you, Shego. The others, however, not so much," Drakken replied, gesturing around at the other villains.
"They would barely trust their own mothers!" Shego argued.
"Green Babe's right cuz, seriously," Ed admitted, shrugging.
"You will not call my sidekick 'Green Babe' in my presence, Eddie, capiche!?" Drakken angrily snapped. "Her name is Shego and you'll address her as such!"
"Whoa, dude, chill, seriously. What's with you?" Ed asked. Drakken crossed his arms and harrumphed.
"What can I say? The man loves me," Shego replied for Drakken, coming up next to him and leaning on his shoulder teasingly.
"Nrrgh, Shego!" Drakken yelled.
"You deny it?" she mock-pouted.
"Hardly!" Drakken replied. He stiffened as she started. The other villains looked shocked. Drakken's eye twitched and quickly he scrambled to cover the Freudian slip. "Wait, that didn't come out right! Nrrgh, never mind! Now to see if Jack Hench was really taken in by you." Immediately he turned to the screen, flipping views so it focused on Hench walking through the jet looking ponderous.
Shego still hadn't moved from her frozen state. Amy, slightly concerned, poked her curiously. The woman didn't even flinch. "Come on Shego, snap out of it," she insisted, poking again a bit harder.
Shego immediately did so, coming back to herself, and yelled, "I don't love Dr. D!" Everyone stared blankly at her. "Ooh, uh, that sounded, um, ugh, that wasn't what I meant! Can we focus on Hench here?!" she insisted.
"Right. He's where the action is now," Drakken agreed, turning back to the screen.
KP
Hench entered the room where the heroes had all gathered. He paused upon noticing the cautious and guarded looks Kim and her friends were giving him. He raised an eyebrow curiously. For a moment they'd looked suspicious and uncertain. Some of them even seemed frightened. Wait. Will. He narrowed his eyes dangerously at his son. "Am I missing something here?" Jack asked.
"Mr. Hench, we…" Kim began, rising.
"Would like to discuss the zombie issue? A great idea! Now look, we're never going to get out of this without a cure. To find a cure we need the most brilliant minds we have working on the situation. Sure, Drakken and DNAmy can do most of the work in that regard, but we need more. Anyone here up for the task?" Jack asked.
"Actually, we…" Ned began.
"Volunteer Justine Flanner and Dr. Renton? Brilliant. We're getting somewhere. Now, we've determined that Gemini might very well be the key to this," Jack said, though he knew full well Justine at least had already volunteered long ago.
"Sheldon? Why?" Dr. Director immediately asked, suddenly very alert.
"Because, my dear, he was bitten hours ago, fell asleep once, and still hasn't turned. He may not be immune, he's starting to feel ill and he's thrown up a couple of times, but he's resistant to it. Resistant might be all we need to find an antidote. If, of course, he agrees to some tests. With your permission, Dr. Director," Jack replied.
Betty hesitated then sighed. "If Gemini is game, who am I to argue? Jack, we need to figure out why we've been able to resist whatever's happening so far. Surely it wasn't because we were inside when the container broke. Billions of others would have been safe then too!
Justine spoke up. "There are many factors to take into consideration. Age may be one. Possibly powers as well. Many of us have them. Some ancient ninja mumbo jumbo even, if any of that is in fact true."
"So many factors, so little time," Monique said.
Just then the door to the cockpit opened and Hirotaka stepped out. "We should be in Scotland shortly," he informed.
"Good, good," Jack said. "Inform us when we're about to come in for a landing. I have to go tell Drakken to contact his little kilt-wearing friend." With that, he left.
KP
"You did it, Shego. You outfoxed Jack Hench," Adrena said in awe.
"So much for his honeyed words," Camille backed. Falsetto said nothing. He doubted highly, though, that Shego had talked circles around the serpent. Oh no. The serpent still had her firmly in his coils, and before this was done, she would know it.
"Done and done," Jack said, joining them again smirking boastfully. "The heroes won't be a problem. In fact, they've generously volunteered to help find a cure. "Dr. Drakken, any word from Killigan?"
"He's been informed of our pending arrival," Drakken answered. "Finally, safety."
"What about Monkey Fist?" Shego asked. "What's happened to him and his family?"
Drakken froze, stiffening. He twitched then scowled, turning on her. "See if I care!" he replied.
"You do," Shego teased, poking him. Drakken grumbled and walked out of the room without a word more.