Chapter Fifteen

MR. V

Yzma squawked for the sake of making noise rather than conducting business for the entire morning and ran through his lunch hour. She was not getting a raise in her monthly check so she could create an even larger laboratory to create her potions and cast her spells. No matter how many animals she was able to turn into with her magic potions and vials, it was not enough to convince Mr. V that she needed a bigger and more elaborate laboratory. He allowed it once and she had an epic rollercoaster entrance to her laboratory, and though it was fun to ride on once or twice she would get no more money from him unless she had a Recruit to offer into the mix. Her newest henchmen couldn't drag her out of the room fast enough once the appointment was finally over and she had gotten explosive over her rejection. To think he had more appointments after her. Mr. V wanted nothing more than to cancel the rest of his appointments for the rest of the day after an excruciatingly painful two hours with her. It wasn't like he had too many appointments today, however, it still drained him from having to deal with such demanding people for the day. When he finally managed to escape to his office for a brief recess before his next appointment, he devoured three scones and took his coffee in shots. He only had a few hours before he had to meet with the Evil Queen, and only had a few minutes after her before he had to meet with Maleficent; so many demanding people in such a short time.

With his appetite satiated momentarily and a fresh cup of coffee brewing, he plopped down in his chair and sighed heavily as he slouched down into his chair. He wanted nothing more than to hide under the desk and take a nap until the evening. Ms. Scatter would never allow that; she also would have never let him into his office with the appointment times so close together, but she was not at her desk and he took the moment. "If I have to deal with another cranky ancient bat," He groaned and rubbed his aching head, "I might go on a rampage today."

He was in desperate need for a nap as well as a coffee, but he knew that he would not get either of those as the Evil Queen came waltzing into the room with her cape billowing behind her and those green eyes blazing. He internally screamed in frustration under his smile. "Mr. V." She snapped with her nostrils flaring. "You have kept me waiting!"

"Welcome my Evil Queen," he feigned a smile as he kicked his feet and spun around in his chair until he stood. "You are right on time."

"No, you are late." She crossed her arms and sat in the chair opposite his own with the desk acting as a buffer between them. "You are fifteen minutes late, to be precise."

"I'm terribly sorry about that, Evil Queen." He gritted his teeth through his smile. He itched the top of his hand and desperately wanted that cup of coffee. It was just sitting there out of the corner of his eye waiting for him to make a cup to perfection "What can I do for you today?"

In an attempt to look down on him, though he sat a good head taller than her, she sat up straighter. "How is Adam doing?"

"Now, your Evillness," he chuckled and popped his fingers to relieve some of the tension building within him. "You signed a contract which says that I am not allowed to disclose such information to you." That thin eyebrow arched high and might and Mr. V could only sigh. "I can assure you that he is alive and well and fulfilling his duties and his missions."

"Well that is to be expected." She turned her nose up in the air, almost in pride. "Of that I knew he would do. That boy would never disobey me."

"Of course, he wouldn't, your majesty." He cleared his throat. How his throat ached for that coffee. "Now, would you like to explain to me why it is that you wanted this evening today?"

Her eyes narrowed as he looked at him, "It had to do with my memory."

"Your memory?" He raised his eyebrow in genuine curiosity. "Why would we need to discuss your memory?"

"Because some of those memories are missing," she hissed as though it were so obvious, "and some of them have been altered to the point they are entirely different."

This was relatively good news, that meant whatever Adam was doing in the Apfel Realm was changing things in the Anti-Realm. It was only a matter of time before the other Villains started having the same issues and concerns. He put his hand to his chin as he let that soak in. "Whatever do you mean?"

"For a man who is able to create a contract and run an entire operation here in this establishment," her lip curled in disgust and her eyes showed how disappointed she was to have to explain so much to him.

"You certainly seem to be slow, had I realized you were such a simpleton I would have reconsidered this entire proposition."

"There is no need to be so coarse, Evil Queen." He gritted his teeth through his smile. "I assure you that I am not a simpleton, but that I want you to be as thorough in the details of your condition so we know what could be happening to your memory."

"Are you telling me you don't know what is causing this?" There was venom dripping off her words as those green eyes glowered at him.

"Not particularly, your majesty." He intertwined his fingers and rested them under his nose. "You see, as I'm sure you've read in the contract, and as has been previously discussed, due to the Recruits going in and changing the stories to retrieve the Happy Endings for everyone, some things were going to change. With the example of your memory."

"It would appear that you failed to mention that important minor detail before we all signed the contract." Those nostrils flared and he swore he saw smoke ready to puff out.

"No, no, I'm very certain that I spoke of this before you all signed the contract." He pushed back his chair and he went to the filing cabinet, sifted through a few folders, and pulled up the manila folder with The Evil Queen written on the right-handed side tab. He pulled out the contract and began to read.

I, the Evil Queen Grimhilde, hereby do agree upon the terms and conditions that Mr. Valentino Shadow has provided in his proposition of "Another Chance for Disney Villains". I agree that my Recruit, Adam Apple Poison, shall be under Mr. Valentino Shadow's guidance and business until he has completely accomplished his mission.

While he is under the guidance ofMr. Valentino Shadow all information regarding the matters of business and conduct during the missions that Adam Apple Poison should conduct and take part of shall be withheld from the Evil Queen Grimhilde for her own protection as well as to keep her from intervening with whatever outcome should occur with Adam Apple Poison's mission.

His ultimate goal as a Recruit is to find the best possible outcome for the Happy Ending for himself as well as the Evil Queen Grimhilde. Should the worst outcome occur, his mission will be terminated and shall be restarted to achieve the best possible outcome and Happy Ending.

During this time that Adam Apple Poison is under the guidance of Mr. Valentino Shadow the Evil Queen Grimhilde may or may not have any or all of these symptoms: Depression, Sneezing, Suicidal Thoughts, Age Fluctuations, Personality Change, Memory Problems or Alterations, Hiccups, Change in Magical Powers and Abilities, Mental Disorders, or Possible Loss of life.

Whatever outcome should occur, so long as the Recruit has succeeded in his missions or the customer is hereby satisfied with the outcome, they shall accept all of the responsibility and shall not change the Happy Ending once the customer has verified that they are satisfied with their ending.

Villain Signature: The Evil Queen, Grimhilde

Recruit Signature: Adam Apple Poison

Recruiter Signature: Mr. Valentino Shadow

When Mr. V finished, he looked up and saw the Evil Queen frowning with her arms crossed looking unsatisfied. "If I wanted to know what I originally signed I would have merely read my copy of the contract." She hissed. "I know very well that I signed it and agreed to whatever was going to happen, but what I want to know, Mr. V, is why this is happening to me?"

"It has to do with whatever Adam is doing on his missions." Mr. V shrugged and slipped the contract in her file. "He is changing the story you know while he is creating his own since he is now a part of the story of Snow White. Your memories will change and fluctuate as he gets closer and closer to accomplishing his mission so that you have your Happy Ending."

"Am I the only one that is having the memory issues?" She asked rather weakly.

"Well, you are the first one to report this to me." He admitted. "However, I do not believe that you are the only one having the memory alterations. I do have a meeting with Maleficent today, and I can only assume that she may be going through something similar."

He watched her hands relax and the nostril flaring stopped. "Well, that provides little ease to my mind," she admitted with a frown, "but it shall suffice until our next meeting."

"Is there anything else that you wished to discuss today, your highness?" He asked politely, but she shook her head and stood.

"No, that is all that I needed to discuss with you." She began to turn to leave, much to Mr. V's surprise, when she hesitated and looked to him. "Actually, there is one more thing. . ." She turned back to him with that thin eyebrow arched again. "As of late I have found it rather difficult to communicate with my Mirror. . . Would this mission for the Happy Ending be a possible reason for this?"

"It could be very possible. . ." he admitted with a short nod. "But I would not entirely count it towards that. It could be something else outside of this."

"You had better hope so, Mr. V." She glowered as she stood. "Or else it shall be most unpleasant for you."

"Of course, your majesty." He stood and bowed to her as she flared her cape out dramatically before leaving his office. Her heels clicked loudly in the quiet office and reception area and Mr. V tried to take his chance to get that coffee, but the leaving footsteps were immediately replaced by another set of angry walking heels as Maleficent entered his office. "Mr. V" she swung the doors open dramatically with her staff and arms held out. "I have a matter of business to speak with you!"

"But of course," he sighed with a bow and gestured to the open chair in front of his desk. His coffee would have to wait until anon. "Would you like to take a seat?"

"Step aside, peasant," she sneered down her nose and sat down in the chair that he had offered her. His nose twitched slightly at being called a peasant, however, because it was Maleficent, he knew better than to smart off too much.

"What seems to be troubling you, Maleficent?" He huffed as he sat down in his chair.

"The fact that my raven Diablo is no longer with me is the first thing that is troubling me." She snapped and stabbed her staff into the floor. "Ever since Malfie left for his missions here Diablo has refused to come home."

"Have you tried putting out his favorite food?" Mr. V offered carefully and immediately earned a glare.

"I am in no mood for your attempts at jokes, Mr. Valentino." She glared and those knuckles popped as she gripped her staff tightly. "Diablo missing is not a joking matter!

"Of course," he gulped and adjusted his tie. "Of course, I just wanted to lighten the mood -"

"My mood is too dark for me to be lightened!" She stood and stabbed her staff into the floor again. "My forest is in disarray, my minions are disappearing, my memories are not the same and Diablo has been missing for a week! I do not want my mood to be lightened, I want my life to go back to the way that it was before!" Her nostrils flared and there was smoke escaping from her nostrils.

"Wait, the forest is in disarray?" Another new discovery from the Recruits Program.

"Are you deaf on top of being daft?" She glared and returned to her seat. "I do not repeat myself, peasant. You heard what I said, now I demand that you give me answers!"

"Well, your magnificence," he sighed and pushed himself to the filing cabinets. "I have an answer to some of your problems." He opened up the drawer with the contracts and pulled out Maleficent's contract. "Are you aware of the terms and conditions that will occur during your Recruit's missions?"

"Mr. Valentino," she glared as he pulled the paper out, ready to read. "If you so much as utter a word in reading that contract to me, I shall burn you at the stake the moment you breathe."

"So you are aware of them then," he slipped the paper back into the folder and intertwined his fingers.

"I came here for answers to my questions, Mr. Valentino." She enunciated every syllable to his name. "Not to answer your questions."

"Right, well," he cleared his throat. Angering the Faerrie would be his undoing if he kept up the way he did. "As you are aware of the terms and conditions, the conditions that you are experiencing are more than likely because of whatever decisions that Malfie is making during his missions. He is changing the story you know because he is now a new character to the story and is making choices that will ultimately alter the ending to where you shall both get a Happy Ending."

"How long are these effects going to last?" She held her head with a grimace. "I tire from these headaches and dizzy spells. They are affecting my forest as well."

"They will come and go as Malfie is on his missions, so that is rather hard to say at the moment." He said as he turned and put the folder and contract back into the filing cabinet. "They could end soon, or they may never end."

"Ridiculous." She stood and glared with her cape flaring about her, "If I knew you were this incompetent, I would not have wasted my time in coming here!"

Ah, yes, the second time he was called an imbecile for the day. It was a common thing for the Villains to lash out when they didn't get an immediate response, and Mr. V's indifference to their impatience and suffering did not help either. "I would not consider your time wasted-" Mr. V tried to remain positive, but he knew there would be no soothing the dragon's temper.

"My time has been wasted because you could not give me definite answers." She roared and stabbed her staff into the ground again. The floor vibrated underfoot, and Mr. V couldn't help but grimace at the fact she dented his floor.

"With all due respect, Maleficent." He stood straighter and put his hat on his head. "This is a very new process for all of us. There are still quite a few kinks to work out of this and it is a learning process for all of us. Your coming here was not a waste of time since it was able to give us feedback to work with and adjust the system and missions so that they do not continue to cause such disastrous problems for Villains such as yourself."

The anger was evident in her eyes and though she was displeased for not gaining a wanted answer, she did hold a small amount of understanding in her eyes. "Very well, peasant, " her voice was low and warning. "Your time was not wasted, but mine still feels very unfulfilled."

He threw on a nervous smile, "I'm terribly sorry about that."

"Yes," she sneered down at him. "You should be. "

"Should I expect to see you in a follow up appointment?"

"Certainly not!" She snapped and he could smell the brimstone threatening to rise like a dragon. "If I require information or need to speak with you, I shall. I do not like to speak to the common folk any more than I need to. "

With a whisk of her cloak she marched to the door and left Mr. V alone. For the second time today, he plopped down in his chair and tried to take a moment of silence to himself so he could take a load off. He pushed his hat down over his eyes and felt a small calm wash over him as darkness covered him. He let his arms fall to either side of him as he tried to fall into a soft slumber, but he heard the ever so soft sound of cat footprints. "Oh come now, Valentino," Varuo sneered down at him. "You can't possibly be tired already."

Mr. V grunted, "Go away, Varuo."

"No, I won't." He said simply. "You have a date with Ashe tonight, and I won't allow you to be late."

Mr. V bolted in his chair so quickly that he fell out of his chair. "What-?"

"Your date." He seemed to chuckle as he draped himself across the desktop. "Don't tell me that you forgot."

"Of course, I did not forget the plans that I made this evening." Mr. V glared. "I would just avoid using the actual term 'date'."

"My, my, my." Varuo tutted. "Is the flirt Mr. Valentino shy about calling his night out with the lovely Ashe Scatter a date?"

"Varuo, because you are a cat, I would have assumed you to be slightly smarter than this." He rolled his eyes at the cat. "I do not want to call it a date because she is my employee, it is not entirely professional, and -"

"You're scared to call it a date." He sounded too smug and Mr. V was grasping at his last whisk of sanity. If the cat was teasing that his plans were to be a date, then that meant the other two Hosts most definitely thought that it was. No doubt Ms. Villa would be dolling Scatter up and Mr. Po would be keeping tabs on all the Recruits while they were out; thinking back on it now it explained why they were so cooperative early today. Did Ms. Scatter think that this was a date? A small sense of dread built in the pit of his stomach.

"I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable," Mr. V spoke more softly, "or put any sort of pressure on her."

"You're shy and just trying to play it off as a gentleman." Varuo rolled his eyes as he stretched before he hopped off the table. "Well, just make sure that you actually dress up nice."

MR. V glared after the cat. "What are you implying?"

"That Ashe is about as shy as you are in calling this evening event a date," he blinked curiously at Mr. V, "but she is still going to dress like it is one." He padded his way over to the door. "Make sure you dress like this is a date, or she'll show you up and she will be mortified."

Mr. V could only watch as the cat casually, and almost smugly, walked out of the office. He wanted to throw something after the cat, but he was more slippery than an eel and more transparent than the Cheshire Cat so it truly would have had little to no effect. But he still wanted to throw something at him. A yawn escaped from him and he rubbed his eyes. He was socially exhausted, and although he would keep his promise and proposal since it was his idea as well as Ms. Scatter, he still could not help but want to stay in and go to bed.

"No use whining about it." He huffed to himself and snapped his fingers. He would at least brew a cup of coffee before getting ready. If he was going to see some of his customers and partners during the evening, he was going to need a strong brew and a shot or two of espresso with a pinch of sugar to make him a touch sweeter and less moody. He tapped his cane as he walked around the office to properly organize his documents, his files, his folders, and just to touch up any dusty or dank places so it would be one less thing for him to worry about.

When his pot finished brewing, he snapped his fingers and his largest cup poured itself full, added the proper sugar to creamer ratio and the cup floated over to his hand. He took a long slow sip and immediately perked up. "Coffee is the most magical non magical thing in all the Realms." He hummed, feeling very satisfied, and casually made his way to his room to get ready for his very fancy night out.

Author's Note:

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