"Group Therapy pt 4"
"We have te drive te the address eh set meh jet te go to. Surely eh wusn't goin' te have it land in front of some restaurant in eh suburban neighborhood." Duff told this to Shego and Camille as he drove in the car they stole. He got onto the highway and hit the gas pedal to meet up with traffic.
"And where is that, exactly?" Shego asked. She shifted uncomfortably in the passenger's seat. She didn't like being kept in the dark. Drakken never did that to her.
"New York."
"New York?! As in New York City?" Shego shouted.
"Ooh! We just have to drive down fifth avenue!" Camille said.
"So your jet can't land in suburbia, but it can land in New York City? Where were you thinking, exactly, Central Park?" Shego was shocked. Why did they have to go to New York? Did Duff have to go there and do something for his secret plan?
"No. Eh own eh building in New York. Te jet can land on te roof."
"What building?"
"Te Weltcourt building."
Shego blinked. Weltcourt…it sounded familiar. She remembered Drakken mentioning it to her once. It was a business that invented and distributed technological devices. Drakken wanted to keep an eye on it, to see if the business came up with something that would aid in his take over the world plots.
"Why do you own the Weltcourt building?"
"Because eh own te company."
Shego was silent. She blinked again. Was she hearing him right?
"You're joking."
Duff shook his head. He didn't look at her once. He kept his eyes on the road.
"My daddy invested in Weltcourt, I think." Camille said. "That's super cool, that you're, like, mega rich. Who knew?"
This bit of information intrigued Shego. "What, did you kill the CEO and somehow worm your way into his position?"
"No. There is no CEO, it's just meh. Eh've always been te head of te company. Eh started it."
"That's not possible."
"An' why nae?"
"Because…because you and Weltcourt don't fit. It's like trying to force two unmatched puzzle pieces together."
"Or because ye think ehm too daft te own eh successful company? Te have power, unlike yer blue boss?"
Ouch.
Shego had so many questions. She wanted to know all about his job and his position and the company, and what other businesses he owned or was involved in. Everything about Duff was a mystery. He had power, and she had to admit, she was jealous. Drakken never had control over anything. He had high goals and tried to reach too far with tiny arms. Duff was smart. He had power in the subtle way. Own a powerful technological company, and use that power to take over the world. Was that his plan?
"Why did you start the company?"
"Because it wus eh job. It makes meh money."
"I thought you wanted to be some pro golfer or something." Camille stated. Shego didn't like that she was still there.
"Eh wus, but look how tha' turned out." Duff chuckled. Shego didn't like that he laughed at something Camille said, and not her.
"But did you have a plan, or a dream? You don't just start a business for money." Shego asked.
"Eh did somethin' eh enjoy an' know much about, an' eh made eh business on it. Is tha' hard te understand?"
Shego didn't answer back. The three of them didn't say much for the rest of the drive. They just stayed in silence and were haunted by their own personal thoughts.
They reached New York quicker than they expected, for Duff was a fast driver. It was a miracle the cops didn't catch him speeding.
He parked the car on a street as soon as they were in Manhattan. He had to wake Shego and Camille up, for they had fallen fast asleep.
"We're here already?" Shego yawned, and put her hand over her mouth. "How long have I been out?"
"Long enough." Duff took his cup of coffee out of the car and wiped the steering wheel and clutch with his sleeve. He didn't want to leave any fingerprints. Shego looked inside the car and saw about half a dozen coffee cups, emptied. Duff must have stopped several times to keep himself awake. He could have woken her up, and she could have done some driving, but he let her and Camille sleep.
Duff slammed the car door shut and threw the keys on the ground. Shego gave him a strange look. "Eh cannae be caught wit eh stolen car. People fro' meh company don' know te other side of meh life. Te press don' know tha' Duff Killigan is te owner of Weltcourt. Tey think…"
"Rene Kale." Shego finished. He looked at her.
"Aye. We need te be disguised before we can go in. There will be photographers an' nae te mention cops. Follow meh, eh know eh place." He and Shego started walking.
Camille smirked, listening in the background. She wasn't the only one who had a thing for multiple identities. It comforted her.
"Camille, come ehn!" Duff shouted. She looked up, the smile still glued to her face, and she ran to catch up to them.
They walked north. "Eh know eh guy tha' helps meh out wit te disguises. He owns eh costume shop an' is an expert in prosthetics. He's also one of te only people who knows tha' Duff is also Rene."
Camille couldn't stop smiling. Shego noticed, and though she didn't know why, she hated it.
"…but Camille eh don't have te worry abou'." Duff looked back at her and smiled. He found her power a useful ability, and Camille just smiled back and couldn't stop feeling the butterflies in her stomach.
The place was only on 9th street. They walked in and the little bell dinged. The man behind the counter in the back of the store looked up and instantly a smirk stretched over his face.
"Duff! You look great!" The man jumped over the counter and ran to give him a big bear hug. Duff laughed and pat him hard on the back.
"Damien, so good te see ye, lad! How's ye mum?"
"She's good and healthy. She's been wondering about you, we haven't heard from you in weeks."
"Ehm perfectly fine. Eh'd like te introduce ye te some friends. Tis' 'ere is Camille, ye'd be fascinated about eh special talent she has…an' tis is Shego."
Excuse me? Shego thought. That blonde bitch has a special talent that's 'fascinating' and I don't?
"Nice to meet you."
"Cam, Shego, tis is Damien, meh cousin."
Cam? She has a nickname now!?
Damien smiled. "You can always count on family to keep your secret safe." Duff grinned in response, and paid no attention to the rage that Shego emitted.
"Making another trip to Weltcourt?"
Duff nodded.
"The usual then?"
"Aye. Eh also need te escort these two wit meh. Ehm thinkin' bodyguards. Shego needs te makeup, Camille jus' needs eh uniform."
"Excuse me? I need makeup and she doesn't?" Shego yelled.
Duff looked at her like she was crazy.
"Lass…..eh mean prosthetics, eh wig…yer beautiful as ye are but eh told ye we need te be disguised."
Shego blinked. Did he just call her beautiful?
Camille spoke up. "Well I can shapeshift." She bragged to Duff's cousin. "Wanna see?"
Without an answer, she changed herself to look like Damien. His eyes widened and he took a few steps back.
"Freaky, man…way cool." He chuckled. "Makes my job a hell of a lot easier!"
Duff pulled Shego to the side. "Are ye okay?"
"I'm fine. I just don't trust the bitch."
"What does Cam have to do anything with it? Why dye have such problems with her?"
"She's trying to make me look bad, that's why! And why the hell do you call her Cam?"
"It's eh nickname. Whut, ye want one too? How abou', paranoid jealous green lass, ye like tha'?"
Shego glared at him. "Whut dye want, Shego?"
"What do you mean?"
"Eh know yer after somethin'. Whut is it, te company? Money?"
"I want to know your plan."
"Whut plan?"
"Your next evil plot. I know you're scheming something big."
"Eh dunno whut yer talkin' abou'."
"Right."
"Shego, ehm nae plannin' anything."
"Why were you experimenting with metals before you were thrown into jail?"
Duff was silent. Shego smirked.
"I'm going to find out."
Duff said nothing but the expression in his eyes told Shego she had hit the right cord. He was definitely up to something.
Within the hour, Damien morphed Duff into a completely different man. His face was thinner and longer, his jaw was strong. He had no facial hair and hair on top of his head. He walked out, revealing his new face and wearing a sharp navy blue suit.
Shego's jaw dropped.
"Ehmagawd. You look like a movie star." Camille blurted.
"Or a dashing business bachelor." Shego mumbled after her.
"Thank you, ladies." He spoke perfect no-Scottish-accent English. No one could ever tell he was Duff.
Shego was up next. She went into the back and sat in a chair. Damien began to work on her, and she saw her time with him an advantage to get information on Duff.
"So…you're Duff's cousin?"
"That I am."
"Why don't you have a Scottish accent?"
Damien looked at her. "Now whoever told ye tha' eh didn' have eh Scottish accent? Meh Scottish blood is as thick as te wool on eh kilt!"
Shego raised an eyebrow, and Damien laughed. "I moved to New York for college, and I stayed here opening my own little shop in the city. I visit home from time to time."
"So is it from Duff's father or mother you're cousins?"
"His mother was my mom's sister."
"Was?"
"Belle passed away a long time ago."
"Oh…right. I forgot. Duff said that a few days ago. His father is still alive?"
"Unfortunately."
Shego also remembered Duff's father was abusive. She didn't need to question that.
"Are you younger than him?"
"Yeah. I'm only twenty-six, and I think he's like, what…thirty-one now?"
"Oof. I'm twenty-seven. I didn't know Duff was that old. At that age you'd think he'd have a family or something. When you're a villain getting old just doesn't seem to fit with the job."
Damien didn't say anything. Shego didn't think anything of it.
"Do you approve of what he does? I mean the villain stuff?"
Damien sighed. "I don't think he's that serious about it. He gets involved in a lot of other bad things, though."
"Like the drugs and alcohol?"
Damien nodded. "He's also very…aloof with women. Practically all the women in his life died one after the other, the poor guy is probably conditioned to push women away so he won't get hurt again. Especially after Mary, too."
Shego perked up. "Mary? Who's Mary?"
Damien looked at her. "I'm…sorry. I said too much. I got the impression you two were…close, and you knew stuff. I'm sorry, I don't think he would want me to tell you."
"Tell me…who is she?"
Damien shook his head. "New subject please."
"Ugh. Fine. Well if he hates women so much why doesn't he just turn gay?" Shego crossed her arms.
Damien nod his head approvingly. "I've been telling him that all this time. A man for him can be just as fulfilling as a woman! He just needs someone who will love and care for him and won't turn away."
Shego looked up at him. "Oh…are you gay?"
"Like, duh! I work with makeup for a living." Damien smiled at his own joke.
"Oh…well…good for you. But I can't picture Duff with a….boyfriend."
He sighed. "I know. He likes women, just not enough to be in a relationship. He sleeps with enough, though."
"I knew he was creepy with that waitress…" Shego mumbled to herself. "How many women has he…uh…been with? Do you know?"
Damien stopped applying the prosthetics and looked at her in the eye. "Honey, I don't know, and frankly I don't want to know, but I know it's more than any of us can count."
"That's gross. And he doesn't have any, like…diseases?"
"Nope…you'd wonder why."
"I guess he does his tests…"
"Why do you want to know all this, anyway? I know this is stuff he wouldn't mind you hearing, but not many people ask questions about him unless they have some kind of motive. You like him or something?"
"Why does everyone keep saying that?"
"Because it's obvious, sweetie."
"No! I don't like him! I want…information on him."
"Sexual information?"
"Well…no! We just…started talking about that…and I was curious. I want to know his plot to take over the world, or whatever it is. And I know he's planning something."
Damien laughed and touched up her cheekbones with a brush. "Oh, little missy, you have a lot to discover."
Shego grinned. She knew he was onto something!
"Then you know? Tell me what it is!"
Damien kept calm as he continued to apply the latex.
"I said tell me!" Shego ignited her glow, and the makeup man took a step back.
"Whoa…what is your problem?"
"You know what he's planning, don't you?"
"No, I don't. Duff isn't interested in taking over the world. He's only interested in dealing with the demons from his past."
"What does that mean?" Shego extinguished her green flames and placed her hands on her hips.
"It means you don't want to get caught up in whatever he is doing."
"Which is what?"
Damien sighed. He pinched the skin that crinkled between his eyebrows. "I don't know, exactly. All I can assure you is that Duff's goals doesn't include power. He's a very tormented man. He has made mistakes and continues to do so. He's had some bad ideas before, and they've come back to bite him in the arse. There is no benefit for you to be with him. His actions come from sadness and anger, and you're going to end up hurting him more than he already is. Whatever you think he is planning is probably a misunderstanding."
Shego just looked at him. He seemed to really care about his older cousin. "And what about this business of his, Weltcourt? He designs and sells technology. You mean to tell me it's just a hobby?"
"Of course. He doesn't secretly sell weapons, if that's what you're assuming. He also sells the darker stuff on the black market, but nothing harmful. It's all trading, it's all about money. If you haven't noticed, he has a lot of money to throw around. I think money gives him a sense of power and security, he's always been surrounded by wealth. Ironically, everything about his life has been the opposite of luxurious….and believe me, the last thing he enjoys is going to jail. He's had a few slip-ups, but…"
"Alright, I get it." Shego interrupted him. "You seem to know him well."
"I didn't see him very often growing up, but in the past few years there haven't been many people around to support him."
"I see…and what other hobbies does he enjoy? Reading? Learning different languages?"
Damien didn't say anything. He just looked at her.
"Reading books written in different languages?"
"Where are you getting at?"
"I saw him doing just that. I mean, I give anyone props who enjoys reading a book in a foreign language they fluently understand, but I have never seen anything like what was written on that book."
Damien's was cold and expressionless. "Like I said, a demon from his past."
At this point, the artist was finished. Shego didn't even realize, but when she looked in the mirror she was no longer a female. She looked like a forty-year-old, clean shaven, green-eyed police officer. Damien topped off the look with a police cap. He handed her a uniform and told her to pad herself with some fake muscles and fat to fill the uniform out. Shego stood up and changed in the nearby dressing room. When she walked out, her disguise was complete. The suit was a bit heavy and awkward to walk in.
Shego walked out to the front of the store where 'Rene' and Camille were waiting. They looked up, and when they saw her Camille snickered a little. Duff congratulated Damien on his talent. Shego eyed Camille, unknowingly jealous that Cam could effortlessly be anyone she wanted, while she had to wait an hour for a guy to glue fake skin onto her. No doubt Camille would choose to be a young and handsome officer to guard the rich business owner and villain.
Duff paid his cousin for his work, and Damien accepted it with gratitude. It was no use to argue with Duff about money. He had enough of it, there would practically be no use to argue family was free.
Once Camille morphed into her disguise and changed, they set out on the street again. They began to walk north of the island until they could find a taxi that would take them to the Weltcourt building.
Shego walked slowly and silently, thinking. Duff and Camille were further ahead of her, not realizing she had fallen behind. Shego was in her own head, going over her conversation with Damien Killigan. Duff's plan had to do with that weird language book and the metal. But, something else Damien mentioned struck her curiosity.
"So who's Mary?" Shego shouted, catching up behind Duff.
He stopped in his tracks and turned around slowly, with a scowl on his face.
"Whut te fuck did ye just say?"
Shego was taken aback with his language. He sounded pissed. "I asked, who's Mary?"
"Where'd ye hear tha' name? Damien?"
Shego nod her head, and crossed her arms.
"Tha' little piece o' shit don't know when te shut his fucking mouth!"
Shego hadn't seen him this mad before. It scared her…just a little.
"Whoa…take a chill pill….he….he thought I knew."
"Ay, he always thinks people know! Whut did he tell ye?"
"Just that you were…hurt by her."
Duff huffed the hatred out of his lungs. He turned around and started walking again. Shego yelled after him.
"Tell me!"
Duff spun around again. "Why? Why dye need te know every detail of meh life? Are ye writin' eh biography on meh?"
Shego crossed her arms again. "No."
"Well te only other reason eh'd actually talk te someone about meh personal life is if ehm close te them. If ehm friends wit tem, and eh feel comfortable opening up. Tha's nae ye. Yer nae meh therapist, so back TE FUCK off!"
Subconsciously, Shego literally took a step back. Camille stood aside and watched as Shego pathetically made a fool of herself. She smirked, thinking it made her look good. She wasn't prying on Duff's life like Shego was.
Eventually they found a taxi that brought them to the skyscraper. The taxi driver didn't recognize 'Rene', but as soon as they stepped out of the car, reporters and photographers started to approach them.
"Mr. Kale! Mr. Kale!"
All the words seems like a jumbled mess to Shego. She couldn't understand what one person was saying. She couldn't pinpoint a single sentence. She tried to read one woman's lips, but all she could hear was the mix of everyone at the same time.
Ugh…fame. How do Duff and Camille do it?
They were surrounded, and Duff kept silent to all the questions about new promotions and recently discovered inventions. Did the metal experiments have to do with Weltcourt? Although Damien made it sound unlikely, Shego thought it was an obvious possibility.
"Mr. Kale!"
A young business man squeezed through the crowd and took Duff by the arm. He gave a glance to both Shego and Camille, and bid them to walk up the steps and go inside the building. Once they were through the doors, the guards kept the reporters out.
"You looked like you needed saving." The man said.
"Thank you, Gene." Rene replied.
"Where have you been? We haven't seen you in weeks. Have you been working on something new?"
"I'm working on it, Gene."
"Right. Well work faster, the company needs something big to counteract the competition. We have to stick to our goals, Rene, remember…"
"I know, Gene. Everyday items of the future for yesterday's affordable prices."
Shego watched as they talked. She couldn't help but be impressed by Duff's perfect speech. With the disguise, it was impossible to guess he wasn't real. Duff's accent was so thick, especially when he spoke Scots. It seemed like a huge transformation to go from one to the other.
Gene looked at Rene's two bodyguards. "I'm afraid I haven't been introduced to your new muscle." He laughed. Shego rolled her eyes when he wasn't looking at her.
Rene looked at Camille first. "This is…Cam." Then, he looked to Shego. "And this is…Sh….um….Sheldon?"
Sheldon?! Really? You couldn't get any more lame than that!
"Cam…Sheldon…nice to meet you."
Shego gave a scowl, while Camille gave off a beam of radiance.
"Alright. Now, down to business…"
"Not now, Gene."
"What do you mean, not now? Do you know how long you've been gone? We need to discuss matters."
Rene looked at his business partner in the eye. "Gene…listen to me. I asked you to run this place. I own the company, yes, and if you need my final say on some important decision feel free to e-mail me. But I am very busy, I am on a schedule, and what's not on my schedule is to hang around the building discussing matters. Do you make my schedule, Gene? Do you?"
Gene looked defeated, like a wimpy child being told off by his mother. "No…"
"Then you don't tell me what to do. I am your boss, do you understand?"
Gene nodded.
"Good." Rene checked his watch. "Now, I have a flight to catch. My jet will be landing on the roof shortly."
"Oh…it landed just a few moments ago, sir. I just got the notification from roof security."
"Perfect. I'm sorry Gene, but the business…my business…doesn't take place at just this building."
"I just hope you haven't been on vacation these last few weeks. We need you."
"Gene, look at me. I've never been on a vacation…ever."
Gene smirked. "Alright. Well call or e-mail later. I need to go over some reports with you. I need your approvals."
"Sure, I'll call later on tonight. Thank you."
Rene and his guards walked away towards the elevator. They got in together, and everyone who was already waiting in the elevator walked out to give Mr. Kale his space. The doors closed, they hit the button for the 85th floor, and began to ascend. The elevator was fast, and took them to the highest floor within only a couple of minutes. Once they got out, Rene led to the stairs, and it took them to the rooftop. Weltcourt guards immediately opened the doors when they saw Rene, and the cold air hit them. Duff's jet was sitting patiently on the surface, and two more guards patrolling the roof escorted him and his bodyguards inside. Rene sat in the pilot's seat; he hit some controls, and the jet ascended without the need of a runway. They were off to Scotland.
"Ugh. An hour of makeup just for ten minutes inside some stupid building?" Shego complained. She sat down on one of the lounge chairs inside the jet and fished out her jumpsuit. She relaxed for a bit before changing. It was a long day. "Way too much traveling for me in one day."
After Shego found the willpower to get up and go into the luxurious bathroom inside the jet to change and freshen up, Camille morphed back into her old self. Duff set the jet on autopilot and joined the lounge passenger area, only to find Camille half naked.
"Oh…" Duff covered his eyes with a hand. "Sorry, lass, eh didn't…um…" he separated two fingers and peeked at Camille in her lingerie.
"Sorry, Shego went into the bathroom and I didn't think you would be coming out of the cockpit anytime soon…that costume was icky. Do you have any clean, cute clothes somewhere in this jet? I have a closet in mine."
"Um…ye don' have yer old clothes?"
"Sure, I do. But I wore them all day."
"Ehm…eh might have some of meh own clothes somewhere in here."
Camille smiled. "Poppin."
Duff searched some of the raised compartments in the jet. He found a medium sized container and opened it. Inside were some outfits, casual and formal, and some pajamas. He unfolded a flannel pajama set and looked at Camille. He stretched out the flannel bottoms to demonstrate his much larger size.
"Err…eh don' think these will fit ye."
"Just hand me a shirt. I'll be comfortable enough in just that."
Duff couldn't tell if she was testing him, joking, or actually hitting on him.
"…..ye do know Shego is on tis jet too, aye?"
"It's a big jet." She stood up, still just in her lingerie. "We can hang out in the cock pit. I'll watch you fly the plane and we can…talk."
Duff sighed and stretched his arm behind his neck, and rubbed the back of his head. "Camille…why don' ye put yer clothes back on…"
"He's probably not interested…he had his fun earlier." Shego said, as she walked out of the bathroom. Her makeup was off but her skin was still flawless and her lips pale but plump. She was out of her uniform and the officer costume, and now wore a green tank top, grey sweatpants, a black sweater cardigan and was barefoot. She looked at Camille with disgust.
"Camille…eh don' have anything tha' would fit ye. Please dress yerself…ye can shower an' eh'll get ye some clean clothes when we arrive ah meh castle. Eh'll be in te cock pit."
Duff walked away, leaving the two of them. Shego got comfortable on a couch. She looked at Camille in the eye and crossed her legs. "Really? What do you think he was going to do? No…what did you want him to do?"
Camille grabbed her clothes, embarrassed, and headed towards the bathroom. She ignored Shego's questions. "Where did you get a clean set of clothes, anyway?"
Shego smirked. "I picked them up at Duff's cousin's shop. You know, as a villain, you have to be prepared for anything. You never know where you're gonna be, or where you're gonna go. I'm surprised you don't carry a suitcase with you wherever you go, not only are you a shapeshifter, but you're a spoiled little heiress…oh wait. You were disinherited, weren't you? What's the matter, can't afford clothes? Not skilled in stealing? Is that what you want with Duff? You're trying to woo him so you can get to his money."
"Ugh, so not!"
"Really? Then why else get practically naked in front of him?"
"I…I told him my clothes were dirty and I wanted to change!"
"With what? You didn't know if there were any clothes on the jet. You think a rogue Scottish golfer would have a prestige closet inside this thing?"
"Like, yeah! With his secret identity as Rene…he's gotta have some kind of makeup disguise room or something!"
"You think Duff knows anything about makeup? That's why he goes to his cousin! You're such an idiot!"
"Ugh, excuse me?"
Duff barged into the room, and it startled them both. "Whut te hell is goin' on in 'ere?!"
Camille and Shego simultaneously started yelling about the other to Duff. All he heard was a jumble of insults.
"STOP IT!" Duff yelled. The girls shut up immediately. He fumed at them both. "We're gonna be on tis plane fer te next seven or eight hours or so, so eh would appreciate it if ye two would get along! An' if ye don' think ye can do tha', then yer welcome te jump outteh te fucking plane! Jus' shut yer mouths an' take naps er sometin!" He looked at Camille. "Eh thought eh told ye te get dressed? Eh don' want ye walkin' inte meh castle half naked! Show some fucking dignity!"
Camille was hurt. She took a blanket on one of the chairs and wrapped it around her. She looked down and tried to hide the tears that formed in her eyes. He was right…where was her dignity? She remembered this morning, when she was still in jail, and the guard was hovering over her…
She ran into the bathroom, taking her clothes with her. Duff glanced at Shego, and she had nothing to say, so he returned to his station.
Eight hours later…..
The rest of the flight was silent. Shego took a nap like Duff suggested, and Camille stayed in the bathroom for most of the time, until Shego woke up and had to get inside. So, Camille just sat down and stared out the window and watched the clouds, and when they lowered, she watched the ocean pass under her, and she viewed the green landscape of Scotland, and how they soared over the coast until she started seeing little islands, and one that was home to a large, ancient castle.
They landed on the lawn and Duff led the two in the castle. It was dark and gloomy inside, but it had a warmth to it. The big stone doors closed behind them and made Camille jump.
"Alright…make yerselves comfortable. Te kitchen is right there, an' there are eh few bathrooms in te area, one right o'er there, an' one jus' up te stairs te yer right. There are hundreds of empty rooms in te castle, but eh recommend te get one close te the main quarters, because it's easy te get lost."
Duff walked upstairs and into one of the bathrooms to wash up. In the main foyer, Camille sat down on the couch and watched the embers of a large fireplace struggle to stay lit. Shego looked around and wondered where to search first for Duff's hidden work. She thought she would start by finding his bedroom and looking there, while he was in the bathroom. Everyone hid their secret stuff in their bedrooms.
Shego walked just up the stairs and looked at each door in the short hallway. She tried the door on her right…it was locked. What was in there? She tried the door on the left side…it opened easily and revealed a small but cozy room. A queen bed was surrounded by large bookshelves that covered the wall, leaving room only for the bed's headboard. A chest lay at the foot of the bed. Opposite the bed was a TV, a desk and a dresser. Before the window was a table, and a fish bowl stood on it. Shego started with the chest. It was locked, but that was not a problem. She lit her hands and snatched the lock right off. Inside were some old photos of what seemed to be Duff when he was young and a girl, slightly younger than him. There were letters, golf medals and trophies, and more pictures of some baby. Shego looked for any hidden compartments in the chest, but nothing looked suspicious. There were no blueprints or lists or paperwork of any kind. She closed the chest and searched his desk. Nothing.
Shego heard an unexpected knock on the door. She spun around to see Duff, with nothing on but a towel around his waist. "Eh didn't mean ye could use meh room." He shut the door.
Shego dropped the papers in her hand…nothing but personal notes and writing…when she saw his bare skin. Her cheeks flustered and she stammered. "I was j-just..umm…."
"Looking fer meh big evil plot? How many times do eh have te tell ye eh don' have one?"
"I know you do." Shego couldn't find any evidence…yet. If only she could find something with that strange language on it. He had to have a lab somewhere…
Duff approached her, and reached his arm behind her. She jumped uncomfortably, but realized she was standing in front of his dresser, and he was just reaching for the drawer. He pulled out some clean clothes. "Well it's eh good thing ye didn't find meh other bedroom."
"Huh?" she looked at him. "You have another one?"
"Aye," he chuckled. "but eh don' think ye'll find anything yer lookin' fer in there."
Shego crossed her arms. "And why's that?"
"If te smell doesn't tell ye, yer bound te find out soon enough once ye start snoopin."
She wasn't too sure, but she thought he was referencing to something sexual.
"You're disgusting, you know that, right?"
"Get outteh meh room Shego, unless ye'd like te watch me undress."
Duff laughed at the horrified look on her face. He was saying these things to her on purpose. It was amusing to him. He knew it made her uncomfortable.
Shego fled the room. She tried to shake her thoughts and peeked in the other rooms. There were two bedrooms on the left side of the hallway after Duff's room, all vacant. A bathroom was across the hall and another empty room, not quite a bedroom, not quite of anything, like Duff couldn't figure out what he needed another room of. She tried the locked door again. She figured she could break the lock easily and just peek in, but Duff was right across the hall, and she didn't want him to hear, especially since he just caught her looking through his 'first' bedroom.
She figured she would search the castle for his lab. Every villain had one, especially Duff since he had a thing for robotics, so there had to be a secret room somewhere. Shego didn't care if it took hours, or days…she was determined to discover his plan.
She went down to the living room and around to the back of the staircase was an infinite, dark passageway lit by barely burning torches. Shego was surprised Duff had torches in his castle, even if it was built in medieval times, she assumed. She seemed to walk for several minutes before she saw another passageway open up to her left. Up ahead, however, she could see there was a passage to the right, and above that was another passageway. She turned to the left and started walking. She wasn't afraid of getting lost, she had a good memory and didn't need breadcrumbs to help her. The new passageway led for what seemed like miles, until finally dozens of doors appeared on each side of the passage. She opened one by one and she didn't discover any kind of laboratory. She came across a few old dungeons, rooms stored with ancient family heirlooms, and several empty rooms, but nothing led her onto any discovery. She continued walking and began to surprisingly feel scared of getting lost. The single passageway seemed to go on forever with no end or connecting point, and the stone walls were the same, and the torches weren't lit. She had probably gone too far. If Duff had been using this passage frequently, the torches would have been lit or hot. Shego held onto the one she took off the wall from the beginning, and hoped it didn't die out on her.
She retreated back the way she came, and it seemed like hours later until she reached the passageway she originally took. She made a left and tried the second direction. The way was the same: stone walls, boring rooms and dry torches. She soon gave up and retreated, and tried the third passage she saw. When she looked, the original passageway seemed to be endless with an infinite number of side passageways. Searching for Duff's lab, or any kind of clue, seemed hopeless.
As she went down the third way, her torch gave out. She threw it to the ground, trying not to feel spooked or intimidated by the castle's dark and cold feel, she lit up her hands and continued walking. She eventually came across a door that seemed slightly different than the others. She tried opening it and it wasn't locked. She was instantly hit by a chill as she walked in and her foot touched metal grate. She got excited and thought she found his lab. Her glow didn't cast much light in the room, and she suspected the lab to be large, so the machines or objects wouldn't reflect the light at a distance. She scanned the wall for a light switch. As she turned it on, she jumped in fear. She was caught completely off guard and subconsciously thought for a second that she was drowning. She stared straight into the ocean waters.
The wall was an enormous piece of glass, an aquarium, that allowed her to see an underwater canyon resting on the ocean bed. Seaweed waved through the water and tiny fish swam about. She wondered why Duff had such a huge glass showing her the ocean with nothing exciting to view. No sharks or large, abnormal fish…she felt like there was something missing.
She walked down the steps and surrounding her was metal grate. The floor was a raised platform, and the true floor was nearly a foot below. The rest of the walls were covered with pipes. The only interesting thing that occupied the room other than the glass was a podium which featured a giant red button.
Drakken always used to tell her never to push the 'red button'. Usually he added this special accessory to his doomsday devices as an emergency stop, or something extreme. Shego always thought it was an idiot thing to do, because Kim or Ron would always just press it and poof!, their planning and hard work was foiled.
Shego wanted to press the button and was curious of what would happen. She was almost afraid of the glass breaking and the ocean rushing in to flood the castle and sink it like Atlantis. Part of her was sure that would happen, and the other part of her told her it was a stupid, pointless idea that made no logical sense. Why would Duff put a button there?
Before she could clear the situation in her mind, she didn't know why she did it, but she just pressed it. She braced for her death, but the only thing that happened was the ping of a sonar. To the side of the podium, a radar screen lit up, and there was a large white dot that got closer to the center with each ping. What was coming closer? The unknown frightened her, and the dot got closer. She looked through the glass and could faintly see something blurry through the water swim towards her. It moved unlike any fish or whale or mammal she's ever seen, and she couldn't guess its identity. It swam closer, and appeared bigger, and bigger, and clearer.
Shego's eyes widened as she saw the monster's jaws widen and its teeth shine through the clear water. It had scales, a webbed mane, claws and a large tail. It's neck was abnormally long and eyes even greener than hers. It was the most frightening thing she's ever seen. The monster swam closer, and closer, and because the glass was so clear it seemed as if it would eat her. She heard it roar underwater. Little bubbles escaped from its mouth and the glass shook. Her lungs gave out and she screamed, and ran up the stairs and out of the room.
"It was a fucking dragon! No…I'll bet it was the fucking Loch Ness monster, Duff's own little pet!"
Shego ran, blindly, in the dark, without her glow to guide her. She lost consciousness and didn't know if she had gone left or right. She just ran from fear, something that she didn't feel quite often. She had always been brave through pretty much everything. But this topped all her fears.
She ran until her lungs choked for proper air and her heart refused to beat without pain. She stopped and held her knees. She breathed deeply in the dark, and rested on the cold stone floor.
It took her a good ten minutes to calm down. The monster had taken so much out of her. It was completely unexpected.
She was in the dark and got up. She was still a little shaken but was able to hold herself steady. She ignited her hands, and then suddenly a hand gripped her wrist. She screamed.
In defense, she increased the power of her green glow and it traveled up her arms, burning the hand that grabbed her. Duff yelled in pain, and staggered back. He held his now burnt hand.
"Whut te fuck wus tha' fer?" he yelled.
Shego turned around in shock to see him. "Wha—what are you doing here?"
"Are ye kiddin' meh? Eh should be askin' ye tha'! Ye were snoopin', weren't ye! Eh told ye it wus easy te get lost in te castle!"
Shego ignored him. She only had one thing on her mind to ask him. "Yeah well I never knew you had the Loch Ness Monster as a fucking pet!"
Duff chuckled and crossed his arms. Shego could see the green smirk on his face from the glow she casted on him. "So eh see ye met Charlie."
"That thing has a name? What in Hell is it?"
"It wus eh gift…from DNAmy."
Now it was Shego's time to laugh. "Oh, please. What did you have to do to get a gift like that?"
Duff opened his mouth to speak, but then Shego interrupted him. "Actually, forget it. I don't want to know that. How did you find me here in the dark anyway?"
"Eh don't need light te find meh way through these passages. I've been walking through tem since eh wus eh child. Eh realized ye were missing so eh decided te go look fer ye before ye got yerself in trouble…but eh can see ye already did."
Duff walked closer to her and his face glowed brighter the closer he got. He took her arm again, but now gently.
"…yer shakin'." He commented. Shego was quivering from her recent encounter with 'Charlie', and Duff finding her. "C'mon, eh'll walk ye back."
With Duff's arm around her, Shego felt safe as they walked back to the center of the castle. She still felt eerie, like something wasn't quite right, or like she didn't trust Duff. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it almost felt like it wasn't really Duff standing next to her.
Once they reached the living room, Duff told her it would be best to wash up and go to bed. She agreed and headed upstairs. She had just entered the doorway to her assigned bedroom when she heard Camille's voice downstairs. She hid behind a wall and peered downstairs at Camille and Duff.
Camille had taken a shower and was wearing a loose off the shoulder sweater, and shorts. Duff was sitting down on the couch and she joined him.
"Hi," she said shyly, and shuffled closer to him.
"Hey, how've ye been feelin'?"
"Better, but a little shaken."
"Och, ye've seen Charlie too?"
"Who?"
"Never mind. Whut's botherin' ye?"
"It's…been a long day. I still can't believe just early this morning we were still in jail. And I can't stop thinking of what would have happened if you hasn't found me."
Duff thought back to the guard he found with her. "Nothing happened, right?"
"No, but…" Camille sniffled and her eyes watered. She leaned closer to Duff and put her arms on him. "I still can't help but think of the possibility. I was so scared…I wasn't strong enough to fight him. I can still feel the pressure he put on my wrists, and how he tried to pull my legs apart, how he squeezed my jaw…"
Duff held her and awkwardly pat her back. "Don' worry abou' it. He wus takin care of. He didn't do anythin' te ye."
Camille shook her head. "You don't understand. You don't understand what its like to be weak, and to have a man nearly take advantage of you like that. A woman's body is precious, I feel so frail and innocent and as if my dignity has been taken from me." She was crying now.
"Hey, hey…don' cry now. Eh do understand." She continued to hold her as she cried on his chest. He rubbed her back sympathetically, and out of the blue, she kissed him passionately. Shego, watching, gripped the wall so hard she ripped a piece of stone off.
Duff pushed her back. "Whoa…Camille, eh don' think tis is really whut ye want te do right now."
"Isn't it? I need someone to comfort me right now…" she slid her hand down his chest, gently. "I've been taken advantage of for so long. My dad abused me, my boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend, I've almost been raped…and you are so kind to me, no one has ever treated me the way you do." Her hand continued to slide down his body until it was over his crotch. Duff shifted uncomfortably.
"Cam, listen…"
Camille began to gently stroke him, and held what took shape beneath his pants.
"Mm…erugh…Camille stop…"
"What, you don't like this?" she continued to tease him.
"Mmrgh…eh said stop." He grabbed her wrist, and she looked up at him, frightened, like she expected him to hit her.
"I…I don't understand."
"This isn't what ye want. I know it isn't because I'm te same. I've tried te drown meh pain wit pleasure. But then eh wake up te next morning realizing tha' te pain is still there, along wit confusion and an awkward relationship. Ehm sorry, but he care about ye too much te let ye make te same mistakes as meh."
Duff got up, and began to walk back upstairs. Camille was left confused yet touched on the couch. He had said 'I care about you too much', and it filled her heart.
Shego however, saw him coming up the stairs and felt embarrassed that she had been watching. She grabbed the handle of the nearest door to her. It was locked. Duff was nearly at the foot of the stairs now, and she was desperate. She ignited her glow and shook the handle. It broke off and she rushed inside. The door closed silently and she closed her eyes, her back against the door, praying he didn't see her. A few seconds passed, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a girl's bedroom, and a young girl, maybe ten or eleven with long black hair, sitting on her bed and holding some dolls. A furry Scottish terrier lay asleep on the foot of the bed. When he heard Shego come in, he looked up and growled at the stranger.
"It's okay, Seamus. I think she's eh friend o' meh daddy's."
Shego widened her eyes. Did Duff…have a daughter?
"H-Hello…what's your name?"
"Elspeth Cathella, but meh daddy calls meh Bessie, or Bess fer short. Whut's yer name?"
"She…um…it's Sheila." Somehow the name Shego feel right saying in front of this girl.
"Nice te meet ye, Sheila. Would ye like te play dolls wit meh?"
Shego smiled. "I would love to." She sat down on the edge of the bed. Bessie gave her a dark haired skinny doll with a sunny yellow dress.
"Brianna wus just about te cook dinner fer her daughter Ruby when she got home from school. I'm playin' Carrie, Brianna's best friend."
Shego smiled. She hadn't done this since she was a little girl.
Bessie imitated Carrie stirring an invisible pot on an invisible stove in an invisible kitchen.
"So…Bess…is Duff you're father?" Shego asked after they played for a few minutes.
"Uh-huh, and he's te best daddy in te world! He loves me so much."
"And what about your mother? Where is she?"
"Eh dunno. Daddy won't tell me, all he says is tha' she doesn't like meh very much."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"Eh dunno, never did eh guess. Daddy says she gave meh up when eh wus eh baby."
"Well then how can she not like you if she never got to know you?"
Bessie shrugged. She looked sad. "Dunno…maybe there's sometin abou' me meh mum didn' like."
Shego looked at her in the eye. Bessie looked up at her. "There is absolutely nothing about you anyone couldn't like."
"But ye don't know either."
"No, but—"
Before Shego could finish, she heard someone standing at the door. The broken handle jiggled. Shego gasped and ran towards Bessie's wardrobe. She opened the doors and hid inside, covered by cardigans and sweaters. She closed the door but left it slightly ajar, and saw as Duff came in. He looked down at Bessie on her bed.
"Bess, why is yer door handle broken?"
"I…dunno. Eh think someone tried te get in an' they broke it but tey never came in, daddy. I think they were too scared to come in. Who tried te get in daddy?"
"Eh have eh hunch who it might 'ave been. Why are ye up so late? It's nearly midnight."
"Ehm playin' wit meh dolls."
"No more dolls, hun. It's too late. Ye can play tomorrow. Wash up an' get ready fer bed."
"Eh already did! Eh brushed meh teeth, see?" Bessie breathed cold minty air into Duff's face. She was already wearing pajamas.
"Eh see. Alright then," he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. "Ye have eh good night Bess. Sweet dreams…an' no gettin' up, ye hear?"
"Aye. Can ye read me eh bedtime story?"
Duff smiled softly and got into bed. He put an arm around his daughter and pulled her close. "Awright, if ye insist. Eh want ye te go te bed."
Bessie smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, and looked up at him as he spoke.
"Once upon eh time there wus an evil king."
Shego froze. Are all his bedtime stories creepy? She got a chill that went up her spine as he began his story.
"Te evil king did some very bad things, but deep down he wusn't all tha' bad. He had a heart, but he only showed his kindness te the only one who loved him: his daughter. Now, no one in te kingdom knew te king had eh daughter. He kept her locked away, a secret, because if anyone found out, tey could use it against him. He wus afraid of his enemies kidnapping her and holding her ransom so tey could make te evil king give tem anything tey wanted. Now, one day, te evil king had eh meeting wit two evil queens from other far away kingdoms. They visited his castle, and one of them wus sneaking around trying te find his hidden room full of secret evil plans, when instead she mistakenly stumbled upon te king's daughter's bedroom."
Shego had turned into ice. He knew she knew of Bessie, and he knew she was in the room.
Bessie gasped at the story. She knew he knew Shego was in the room as well. "How did te king find out?"
"Well Bess, ye see te king is eh very smart man, an' he had all te best security guards in te land. One of tem saw te evil queen go inside eh room tha' wusn't allowed fer trespassers, an' so he reported it to te king, but he wus suspicious, because he knew te queen wus snooping around as it wus."
Okay…so I guess he has security cameras. Shego thought.
"An…an' whut happened te the queen? Whut did te king do?" Bessie looked up at her father with frightened eyes searching for hope. "Did he marry te queen an' she became te lassie's mum?"
"No, Bess. Ye see, life doesn't work tha' way. There's nae always eh happy ending. Ye see, te king knew te queen wouldn't keep her discovery eh secret, an' he loved his daughter more than anything, so before te queen could see another being, he killed her in cold blood."
Bessie gasped. Shego found herself gasping too.
He isn't serious, right?
Duff continued. "It's true. An' he even warned te queen te stay outteh te part o' te castle his daughter wus in. Isn't tha' right, Shego?"
Ooh…busted.
Shego awkwardly stepped out of the closet. Her hair was all messed up from being surrounded by clothes, especially Scottish wool. She felt ridiculous.
"Umm…you were joking when you talked about the whole…'killed her in cold blood' thing, right? It was just some cute little creepy kid's story…right?"
Duff had locked eyes with her, and his coal-black pupils shot a raging stare right into her. He approached her and grabbed her wrist..hard. "We need te talk…now."
He pulled her out of the room, closed the door, and pushed her against the wall. "Whut did ye think ye were doin'? Tis is te last time ehm goin' te tell ye te stop snoopin' te castle! Yer nae goin' te find anythin' yer searchin' fer, an' yer jus' goin' te find things ye won't like!"
"But…your daughter is such an angel. I like her…"
"Well no one can know about her. Ye weren't supposed te know about her. Eh kept her locked up in her room fer tha' reason. Whut makes ye so desperate te barge inte locked rooms?"
Shego blushed, remembering his 'conversation' with Camille. "I was looking for your lab…" she lied. "But why keep her locked up? I really don't see how I would put her in danger. Who would hurt her?"
"Because of who eh am an' whut eh do, child services would take her away before eh could blink. All eh need is one person te leak her existence te the wrong person an' she'll be snatched."
"Well…I won't say anything to anyone. I promise."
"Ye better nae. Or so help meh, eh will hunt ye down an' really kill ye in cold blood. She's te only important thing in meh life…eh cannae lose her."
Duff's last words were soft, and hurt. Shego felt for him a little bit. She never really had anyone she cared about so much. Drakken was important to her, somewhat, but not to the level Duff felt for his daughter. She was slightly envious of him, to hold that kind of love. She never had anyone so precious in her life.
"I promise I'll keep your secret….but.."
"But whut?" his eyes shot daggers into her soul.
"Locking her up in her room all day can't be healthy…she looked so lonely."
"Eh check up on her throughout the day."
"But besides you and your dog? Does she have friends, go to school?"
"No. Eh homeschool her."
"What about her mother? She told me she has none…"
Duff's eyes narrowed. His breath shortened. He held his hand up. "Don't go there. It's a long story…ye wouldn't understand."
"But it must be so hard for her to grow up without a mother or at least a mother figure…"
"Ye don't think eh know that? Now tell me Shego, ye can answer tis easily. Whut woman in her right mind would want te be wit eh guy like meh? Who would want te love meh? Marry meh an' take care of meh daughter? Please, if eh had found a woman who did, eh wouldn't be in tis situation right now. An' believe me eh've tried."
"Well…" Shego looked down. "I don't think you should give up. You're not…half bad. And your daughter is a sweetheart."
"Eh, whatever. Eh've been hurt too many times anyway. Eh'll be fine raisin' her on meh own, eh've been doin' fine so far."
Shego wanted to debate against that, but she chose not to speak. She really didn't have room to talk, she wasn't a mother herself.
"Can I ask what happened? To her mother? I know its personal, but…"
Duff hesitated. He sighed, and the emotion in his dark coal eyes told Shego the memories brought him pain. "All ye need te know is tha' eh got her pregnant, she convinced meh tha' she loved meh, eh wus young an' foolish an' thought eh loved her too, an' then as soon as te baby wus delivered she left."
Shego continued to look into his eyes like it was a work of art she was trying to make sense of. "I'm sorry…"
"Don' be. Eh don' need pity."
"What do you need?"
Duff looked up at her. He wanted to ask what she meant by that, but Camille interrupted them as she walked in the room.
"Duff, I'm getting a little hungry…" she was wearing a long cardigan sweater now, crossing her arms over her stomach. "I know it's late, but…"
Duff looked over to her. "Sure, I'll make ye somethin' small." He looked over at Shego. "ye hungry too?"
Embarrassed, Shego admitted that she was starving. "I'm going to go upstairs and um…get changed." She wondered if Bessie had been hungry too, but she knew the girl was asleep and didn't want to wake her. She was probably fine.
Camille and Duff went into the kitchen, and Shego went upstairs into her room. She stripped out of her jumpsuit and walked into her small half-bathroom. She took a quick shower, just to rinse off, then found a couple changes of clothes in her dresser.
Does Duff keep all his rooms stocked for guests? And exactly how many guests does he have?
She found a pair of black sweatpants and a light pastel green sweater. After getting changed she came downstairs and walked in the kitchen. Camille sat down at the small two-seated table, and Duff was stirring a pot over the stove. He was adding chopped vegetables and beans, liquids and spices. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He looked good when he cooked.
Shego sat down opposite Camille, and within ten minutes Duff served them two steaming hot bowls of soup. Shego was a bit scared of eating it, for she knew Scottish food didn't have the best reputation, but after she tried a bite it wasn't bad…just needed salt.
"Aren't you having any?" Shego asked. Duff shrugged and said he would eat at breakfast. Then she realized he was cleaning the pot…he only made enough for two.
After they finished, Camille got up and thanked Duff for the meal. She then went upstairs to brush her teeth and retire to bed. Shego stayed and watched Duff clean up. She liked seeing him cook…she didn't know why.
Before she could realize she was smiling as she was staring at him, Duff interrupted her.
"Like whut ye see?"
She snapped out of her trance and blushed. "Sorry…I was just thinking."
"Thinking abou' whut?"
"Um…" she tried to come up with an excuse. "My mother, and how she used to cook."
That was a complete lie…my mother never cooked anything but frozen pizza. I hope it wasn't that obvious I was checking him out…
"Huh…well ehm glad ye liked te soup…"
"I'm sorry I've been snooping." Shego said abruptly. "I feel like being evil and taking over the world is all there is in my life. Every day I feel like I'm becoming more and more obsessed with it, Drakken is driving me crazy enough with all his doomsday plans, it's like a dream I can't escape from."
Duff crossed his arms. "All of us are evil, jus' in different ways. Some of us will do anything to be the world's dictator."
"Right, but after being here, seeing…your daughter…I realize that there are greater things in life than ruling the world. I envy that you have something…someone…to keep you grounded."
"Eh don' need Bess te help me realize there are greater things than evil. Like eh said, we are all evil fer different reasons. Eh lotteh people do it fer power. Ehm nae interested in rulin' te world. Eh don' have eh big plan, eh never did…well except fer tha' whole 'cover te world in grass' thing…eh wusn't…um…let's just say eh didn' have eh clear head back then. Eh just do bad things because it's who eh am. Eh get involved in robotic technology because eh've always been interested in te subject…when eh wus younger eh wanted te be eh robotic technician. Eh enjoy robotics…eh'll trade projects on te black market…but eh don't necessarily want te take o'er te world wit an' army of robots."
"Drakken is the one who's obsessed with ruling the world…I guess I've been so caught up in him that it gets to me too. I like power…and I would love to rule the world…but sometimes I think if there is a better life out there for me."
"Oh, ehm sure whatever is meant te happen will happen."
Shego smiled. "You know…you're so different than what I thought you were."
"And how wus tha'?"
"Some crazy, gross, pathetic little man who wears a skirt and is obsessed with anything and everything golf?"
Duff put a hand to his heart. "Ouch…that hurts," he chuckled.
Shego laughed in return. "I know, right…talk about stereotypes. I misjudged you, and I'm sorry."
"Don' worry, lassie. Ehm nae offended…nae really." He snickered again.
"I mean, you have a great big cozy castle, a family…"
"Ehhh…a family is stretchin' it…"
"Well, it's not picture perfect, white-picket fence, but it's still a family. All I have is a crazy blue roommate."
Duff shrugged. "Then why nae start eh family?"
Shego huffed. "Yeah, right. Who would want to start a family with me? I mean it's not like I've been looking but…"
"Well why don' ye start? Ye'd be surprised."
Shego looked up at him and smiled. She enjoyed this…hanging out with this interesting man in a cozy kitchen at 1 A.M. She felt excited, yet calm at the same time. She never had intimate moments like this with Drakken.
She didn't want the moment to end, but she felt pressure in her lower abdomen. "I'll be right back."
She got up and tried to remember where the bathroom was. Duff said there was one downstairs near the living room, and one upstairs. She saw a hallway on the west side of the room, and decided to check down there. The hallway was lit by torches. It was slightly long, but not long enough for Shego to wonder if it ever ended. It sloped down, as if she was walking down a hill, and she could tell not only was she going underground, but this was not the way to the bathroom. She could see a large door at the very end, and approached it curiously. As she made her way closer, she could make the door out a little better. It was an old medieval-like arched wooden door with metal fastenings. She tried the handle, but it wouldn't budge.
Suddenly, a touch screen panel appeared at the right side of the door. It slid out from inside a slot in the wall, then straightened out to face her. A deep male computerized voice said "Voice recognition password."
"Huh?"
"Incorrect password. Voice recognition: no match."
Shego gasped as she realized where she was.
Oh my God…this is the door to his lab.